Breaking the Limit
by RockX2
Summary: Sasuke declines the offer to go to Orochimaru's and stays in the village. Now Team 7 is faced with tougher missions, a second Chunin exam that's harder then the first, and a brand new enemy that threatens to ruin everything they've worked for... NaruSaku
1. Declined

**Disclaimer: This disclaimer will cover my entire story. From this point until the end. I do not own Naruto or any of the other characters.**

**Breaking the Limit**

**Chapter 1**

**Declined**

"No thanks."

Sasuke was staring down the four sound ninja intently. He had just used a lot of his chakra fighting Naruto, but he was sure he could take these four on pretty easily.

"Are you sure, Sasuke?" the tall, grey haired, sound ninja asked. He seemed to be the leader of the group. "Lord Orochimaru can give you power beyond your wildest dreams."

Sasuke tensed. Power? Could Orochimaru really give him more power? No, it had to be a trick. Orochimaru had given him nothing but pain. He put his hand up to his neck where the curse mark was. He closed his eyes, sighed, then opened them again.

"Can Orochimaru really give me more power?" he asked quietly.

The sound ninja smiled. It was a smile Sasuke didn't like. "Of course. He's made all of us stronger."

Sasuke closed his eyes again, thinking about how to proceed. _It could be a trick…But why would they lie about something like that? They could be trying to help me…Or they could be trying to kill me…But….What about…_

Images flashed in his mind. Images of Itachi, Orochimaru, Sakura, Kakashi, Gaara's true form, and Naruto. Sasuke smiled. He knew what to do.

When Sasuke opened his eyes again, the sound ninja found they were not black, as they had expected, but a crimson red. Sasuke rushed forward with incredible speed, and kneed the grey haired sound nin in the stomach. After the he was caught off balance, Sasuke followed suit with a series of punches that sent the ninja flying backward.

"What the hell!" the only girl of the group yelled at him. "You've got a lot of guts, kid!" She rushed at him, throwing a punch, but because of Sasuke's Sharingan, he was able to block it easily. He tried to counter with a side kick aimed at her head, but she ducked at the last second, and aimed another punch at his stomach. Sasuke was unable to dodge or block it this time, and she connected.

Sasuke was sent back a couple of feet, but was able to recover by doing a back flip, and landing on another tree branch. He rubbed his stomach where she had hit him, smirked, and did some hand signs.

"Fire Style: Fire Ball Jutsu!" He took a deep breath and blew out a huge flame from his mouth. When he ran out of breath, the jutsu stopped, and he couldn't see the three remaining sound ninja. _Did I get them…or? _His eyes scanned the surrounding, trying to find them, but with no luck. _Maybe I did get them._ He smirked proudly, but it soon faded when he felt the cold metal of a kunai touch his neck. Someone had snuck up behind him.

"You think you can get rid of me that easily?" Sasuke recognized the voice. It was the grey haired ninja he had sent flying a little bit ago.

_But how? I didn't even sense him come up behind me!_

"Lord Orochimaru clearly stated he wanted you to come back with us," the sound ninja continued. "Even if we had to use force."

Sasuke's eyes widened. "Really?" he said calmly. "Well if he wants me there so badly, why didn't he come himself?" Sasuke elbowed the nin in his stomach, and grabbed the kunai out of the startled nin's hand. The side kick that followed this hit the sound ninja in the face sending him falling towards the ground. Sasuke took a deep breath, and readied himself for another attack, kunai held out in front of him.

Three kunai came soaring at him. He ducked, and threw his own kunai in the direction those had come from. To avoid further level combat, he jumped up to a higher tree branch, and concealed himself within the leaves. _Was I seen? No I don't think so…_

Suddenly, a fist connected with his head, making him fall from his hiding place. As he was falling, Sasuke saw it was the sound ninja with four arms who had hit him. _Amazing, he was on a higher branch then I was! He was waiting for me to get in range!_ Sasuke landed on another branch and barely had time to regain his composer before he was hit again, this time by the largest member of the group. He was sent backward hitting the trunk of the tree with full force.

The large ninja chuckled. "This is the kid Lord Orochimaru was talkin' about? He's nothin' but a joke! He's so weak!"

Sasuke tensed. A joke? He was angry now. He made the apropiet hand signs as quickly as possible. He took another deep breath. How dare he call him weak. _I'll show you weak!_

"Fire Style: Pheonix Flower Jutsu!" He blew out multiple breaths of air, creating multiple fire balls, all aimed at the ninja. He dodged everyone.

Sasuke's eyes widened. _But how?_ He slowly rose to his feet, panting. _Damn…I've used a lot of chakra._ The sound ninja chuckled again.

"Is that the extent of your power?" Another chuckle. "What is Lord Orochimaru thinkin'."

Now Sasuke was pissed. How dare this fat ass question his power. "You want to see power?" Sasuke said coldly, doing four hand signs. "Then I'll show you power!" He grabbed his left shoulder with his right hand, and straightened out his left arm, widening his palm. Slowly, a blue ball of electricity formed in his palm, giving off the distinct sound of a thousand birds chirping at the same time. He rushed forward. The sound ninja had barely any time to react at all.

"What the-!" Those were the last words the sound ninja uttered before Sasuke thrust his arm through his chest. Sasuke pulled his blood covered arm out of the sound ninja's chest, and collapsed to his knees. He had used almost all of his chakra with that Chidori. The grey haired ninja was looming over him now.

"You done? You all out of strength? Good, now if you don't mind, we'd like to go to Lord Orochimaru's now."

Sasuke looked up at the other ninja. "But what about him?" He gestured to the fallen ninja.

The grey haired ninja shrugged and laughed. "Lord Orochimaru was expecting one of us to die…I guess it's him." He laughed again.

Sasuke seethed. "How can you just laugh at a comrade's death like that? With no emotion of sadness at all!"

The ninja smirked. "Sacrifices have to be made," he said simply.

That sent Sasuke over the edge. He slowly stood up, black markings crawling all over his body. "How can you say that?" he said coldly. "How can you have no care for a friend?" He began to form another Chidori, staring intently at his opponent. "Now you die!"

Suddenly, a grey blur appeared in front of Sasuke, who stepped back in surprise.

It was Kakashi.

Kakashi put his hand on Sasuke's shoulder. "Calm down." Kakashi's good eye was starring down Sasuke. "Calm down, Sasuke."

Sasuke eyes narrowed, and he bit his lip in an effort to stay under control. The Chidori faded away, and the markings receded back into The Curse Mark. He collapsed onto the branch. He was out cold.

Kakashi looked at the three remaining sound ninja. He pulled up his headband, revealing his Sharingan eye. "Leave…Now!" The ninja looked at each other with angry faces before fleeing the scene. Kakashi pulled his headband over his eye, then looked down at Sasuke. _Sasuke…What did they say to you?_ He picked Sasuke up, and jumped from rooftop to rooftop, heading towards Konaha Hospital.

-

As soon as Sakura had heard that Sasuke was in the hospital, she rushed there, eager to be by his side. As she ran through the streets, she saw Naruto eating at his favorite ramen stand. Should she tell him? Maybe he would want to know…After all, Sasuke is his best friend, no matter how much either of them denied it, the fact would still remain. Anyone with eyes could see it.

She ran over to the stand, and stepped inside, where she found Naruto slurping down the last bit of ramen he had.

"Ah!" he said with relief. "Nothin' helps you regain strength after a battle like a couple bowls of ramen!" he sat aside the empty bowl with two others. "Hey, old man, another please!"

Sakura lowered her head and sighed. _Three bowls already?_ She thought annoyingly. Then she brought herself back to the matter at hand. "There's no time for that, Naruto!" she yelled at him.

He turned around in his seat to face her, and then smiled. "Sakura!" he half shouted, trying to make her smile, but when nothing happened, not even her coming over to him and hitting him, he sensed something was wrong. He turned serious. "What's wrong, Sakura?

She let out another sigh. "Sasuke's in the hospital. Kakashi-sensei stopped by my house and just told me." She turned to leave. "I just thought you'd like to know."

Naruto extended his arm to her. "Wait Sakura! What the hell happened? I mean, we just got back from the Tea Country!"

Sakura still wasn't facing him. "I don't know the details; I was just going to see him."

"Wait!" Naruto yelled, throwing money on the counter. "Thanks, old man." He said to the owner, then ran by Sakura's side. "I'll go with you, there's no sense for you to have to go alone." He smiled. "Besides, I wanna see what happened to Mr. Emotionless."

Sakura looked at Naruto. Maybe she had misjudged him. She knew going to see Sasuke was only half of why he was going with her. The other half was to make sure she, herself, would be okay, especially when they didn't even know what happened. She smiled at him.

"Thank you, Naruto."

His grin widened and soon, they both were jumping across rooftops.

-

Sasuke's room number was 210. Neither Naruto nor Sakura knew their way around the hospital that well, but they soon found the room. Naruto opened the door, and inside they found Sasuke fast asleep on the bed, a nurse standing over him, writing something on a clipboard. When she finally noticed Naruto and Sakura had entered the room, she jumped, startled.

"Oh," she said, breathlessly. "I wasn't expecting anyone to come and visit him this soon."

Sakura blushed. "Well we're really good friends with Sasuke."

The nurse nodded, wrote a couple more lines on the clipboard, and headed for the door. Sakura looked down at Sasuke for a second, before calling out to her. "Wait!"

The nurse had just opened the door and was standing out in the hall. She turned to face Sakura. "Yes?" she asked sweetly.

Sakura stared at her intently. "Do you…know what happened…to Sasuke?" she asked, stealing glances at Sasuke.

The nurse frowned. "I'm afraid I don't. The only person Kakashi gave information to was Lord Hokage."

Sakura lowered her head and sighed. "I see…" she said quietly.

Naruto frowned at the sight of Sakura. This was exactly why he had come. He looked down at Sasuke's sleeping form. _See what you're doin'? _He thought bitterly. _See what you're doin' to her well being? Of course not, you probably don't even care…God you're so SELFISH! _Naruto ended his inward rant by punching the wall to his right.

Sakura looked up when she heard the loud smash to find Naruto's hand in a wall. "Naruto!" she said in surprise, stepping over to him. "Are you okay?" she continued worriedly.

Naruto looked at Sakura, then smiled. "Of course, Sakura." He said, taking his bloody hand out of the wall, and wiping it on his orange jacket.

It looked like Sakura was about to say something, but Sasuke stirred on the bed, and Sakura, forgetting all about Naruto, ran and kneeled by his bed. "Sasuke?" she whispered quietly. No response. Sakura sighed, and ran her hand through Sasuke's raven colored hair.

Naruto frowned again, looking at Sasuke. _Who did this to you Sasuke? Who could do this to you?_ Naruto sighed and turned to leave.

"Where are you going?" Sakura asked, noticing his action.

Naruto clenched his fists. "To the Hokage Tower."

-

Kakashi was nervous.

And it appeared Tsunade was too.

"Looks like Orochimaru wants Sasuke's body…" she said slowly, closing her eyes.

Kakashi nodded. "What are we gonna do?" he asked.

Tsunade looked at him for a second or two then turned around in her chair, facing the window that overlooked the village. "Well," she said softly. "We can't panic. At least Sasuke had enough sense not to go with those sound ninja." She turned to face Kakashi again. "I can't imagine what would happen if he had." She thought about what to do. All the options looked pitiful, and would never work, so she decided to take the easy way out. "I will continue to assign Team 7 missions."

Kakashi was surprised, and was about to say so, but Tsunade wasn't finished. "But only because you will be there, Kakashi. You are to never let down your guard down, even on D-Rank mission!" Kakashi nodded. "Do not let Sasuke out of your sight." Kakashi nodded again, and yawned under his mask. Unfortunately, it appeared Tsunade noticed.

"And since you're the lazy ninja that you are, and are sure to slack off, I'm making this assignment an A-Rank mission!" Kakashi's eye widened.

"Are you serious, Lord Hokage? An A-Rank?"

Tsunade smiled. "You dare question the Hokage?" she asked mockingly.

Kakashi sighed. "Of course not, Lord Hokage," he said lazily. He turned to leave, but was surprised to find the door opened before he could reach it. In the room, came Naruto.

As soon as he entered, he pointed at Tsunade. "Hey, Grandma!" he shouted at her. "I demand to know what happened to Sasuke right now!"

Kakashi sighed. _Naruto knows about it already? Jeez, I only told Sakura…_

Tsunade's eyes narrowed. "I'm afraid that's top secret, squirt." She told him sternly, but Naruto wasn't buying it.

"I don't care how top secret it is! I want to know, now!"

Kakashi thought it was time to interfere. "Hey, Naruto…"

Naruto turned to Kakashi, and smiled. "Oh, you'll tell me, right sensei?" he asked almost hungrily. Kakashi sighed.

"I'm afraid not, Naruto," he said in a laid back tone. "As the Lord Hokage said, it's top secret."

Naruto frowned, and was about to yell out in protest, but was silenced by Kakashi. "How about this," Kakashi suggested, putting his hand over Naruto's mouth. "After Sasuke regains his strength, Team 7 will go on a new mission?" He finished, glancing at the Hokage for support.

Tsunade smiled. "Of course."

Kakashi took his hand away and Naruto spoke. "At least a B-Rank!" He demanded, crossing his arms and turning away. Kakashi sighed, and Tsunade's smile grew larger.

"Whatever you say, Naruto." Naruto, obviously didn't catch the sarcasm in her voice, because he grinned, and jumped in the air.

"Alright! A new mission!"

Tsunade suddenly turned serious. "Now, you two leave me. I have much to do!" She waved her hand away, signaling them to leave.

Kakashi, left the room, walked down the hallway, down the stairs, and, soon, out of the Hokage Tower, Naruto right at his heels.

"Can you believe it, sensei," Naruto said happily. "A new mission!" Naruto thrust his fist into the air with triumph.

"Yes, yes, I know, Naruto, "Kakashi said, as they continued walking down the busy street. "I was the one who suggested it, remember?"

Naruto didn't hear, he was too lost in his own thoughts. _A new mission! I can hardly wait! The last one was so boring…Wait till I tell Sakura, and Sasuke…_A sudden realization hit Naruto_. Wait a minute…Sasuke!_ He turned to Kakashi, about to ask about Sasuke again, only to find Kakashi was not there.

……..

_I don't believe it! _Naruto thought, turning every which way, trying to find Kakashi. _Kakashi-sensei and Grandma Tsunade tricked me! Ohhhhhh! When I find you Kakashi-sensei…_

-

Kakashi was jumping rooftops heading for the hospital to check up on Sasuke and, must likely, Sakura as well. He smiled behind his mask._ Naruto, you are so easy to fool…_

**End of Chapter.**

**A/N: Edited: Fixed the bold and most if not all of the Kakashi's. Sorry it took so long, actually…**


	2. Waking Up to This?

**A/N:** Thank you all for the reviews. Now if any of you are mad at me because I didn't put suffix's (chan, kun, sama, san) in the last chapter, then I am sorry. I'm just too lazy to add them, lol. Also, I will not be putting the Japanese versions of the Jutsus in here either. I don't see the point to have to go on the internet, look them up, and still have to put the English version in beside it, lol. So those will not change. And finally, yes and truly this is a Naru/Saku story. It will just come later.

**Chapter 2**

**Waking Up to This?**

It had been two whole days since Sasuke had been put in the hospital, and Sakura hadn't left his side for a second. She was beginning to worry that he would never wake up…She shook her head. _No, no, I can't think about that! Sasuke will be alright for sure! _Her stomach growled, telling her it was it hungry, and she sighed. She hadn't eaten for about a day, and hadn't slept since she heard Sasuke was in the hospital. She yawned, and clutched her stomach as it growled again. Besides all that, she noticed, it was quite boring in the hospital. No one else came to visit Sasuke besides Ino, Kakashi, and Naruto. Thinking of Naruto, she checked her watch. 12:25, he should be here soon. As if on cue, an orange blur bounced through the open window, landing at the foot of Sasuke's bed.

Naruto glanced at Sasuke, then looked at Sakura. He frowned for a second, then smiled at her. "Still out of it," he said, speaking of Sasuke. Sakura nodded. Naruto looked at her with worried eyes. "How are you?" he asked. Sakura chuckled.

"I'm fine, Naruto." Unfortunately, her stomach decided to speak at that moment, disagreeing with her. Naruto took note of this.

"I can bring you somethin' to eat." He told her.

Sakura turned away from him. "I told you," she said frowning. "I'm fine."

Naruto stared at her for awhile. He didn't say anything, and neither did she. After four minutes had gone by, he looked at Sasuke again. _You bastard…_he thought, and with that, he jumped out the window.

Sakura sighed. Why did that always happen? Naruto would come for five minutes every hour. Always from whatever hour it was:25, to whatever hour it was:30. He would barely even look at Sasuke, and Sakura knew why. It was to check on her, not him. He wanted to see about _her _well being, not Sasuke's. Naruto would ask if she wanted something, even though she was starving, she would say no. He would ask her a couple more times, even though she repeatedly gave the same answer. A silence would follow for awhile, and then he would leave.

She yawned and stretched, her stomach talking to her again. She looked back at the Uchiha lying in the bed. _Sasuke…_ she thought as she closed her eyes.

**-**

Naruto landed on the ground with a thump. Where the hell was Kakashi? He thought he might find him here, at Team Seven's training ground. He looked around, finally spotting him sitting on a tree limb, reading one of those stupid books. "Kakashi-sensei!" Naruto called, running to the base of the tree.

Kakashi sighed under his mask. Why couldn't he ever get some damn peace? "What is it, Naruto?" he answered.

Naruto pointed up at him. "When is Sasuke gonna get better? I mean, Sakura is killing herself as long as he stays in that bed! Tell me when he'll recover!" Kakashi sighed again.

"Sasuke collapsed from extreme chakra exhaustion. It's hard to say when someone will recover from this…" He went back to his book, hoping Naruto would leave now that he got a suitable answer, but, Kakashi forgot, this was Naruto.

"I'm not buyin' that!" he yelled to Kakashi. Said ninja put his orange book up; obviously he wasn't going to be able to read it anytime soon.

"Look Naruto," he said in a laid back tone. "Chakra exhaustion is not something a ninja can just bounce back from. It takes time." Naruto frowned. "But Sasuke is strong, and what's it been? Two days… I expect he'll come around by this afternoon."

Naruto grinned. "Okay," he said. "Thanks Kakashi-sensei. I'm gonna go tell Sakura."

Kakashi watched as he ran back toward the hospital, and pulled out his orange book. He had only read a couple of lines, when he felt a presence under him. "Who's there?" he asked lazily.

"Ah, Kakashi," the person said. _Damn, _Kakashi thought, his eye widening. _Why is he here? Can't I ever get some peace? _He glanced under him to find Gai standing upside down on the tree branch.

"What is it, Gai? I really don't feel like fighting right now…" Gai only laughed.

"No, Kakashi. This is not about are rivalry. I come bearing information from the Hokage."

Kakashi was interested. He memorized the page number he was on, closed the book, and put it away, gesturing for his rival to continue. Gai cleared his throught. "Your team, has a mission, Kakashi. I don't know the details, but you're supposed to go get the information on it this afternoon. If Sasuke has not recovered by then, then the mission will be traded to my team."

Kakashi was confused. "Your team? So Lee's operation was a success?" He could sense Gai giving him a thumbs up.

"You bet it did, Kakashi! I'm so proud!" Kakashi had an odd feeling that Gai was crying, but he didn't dwell on it to much.

"So, this afternoon?" he drawled.

"That's right, Kakashi."

Kakashi sighed. _If we don't get this mission, _he thought, _Naruto will never let me hear the end of it! _

"Well," he heard Gai say. "I'll be off, Kakashi."

Kakashi nodded, even though Gai couldn't see it. "Tell Lee I'm glad he's back to speed." Again, Kakashi got the feeling Gai was giving him a thumbs up.

"Will do!" Kakashi saw him land on the ground, and run off, back toward the village. _Come on, Sasuke…_

-

Naruto had almost reached the hospital. _This afternoon! _He thought excitedly. _Sasuke will be back on his feet, Sakura will start to act normal again, and we'll go on a new mission!_ He could hardly hide his happiness. He was grinning ear to ear as he jogged toward his destination.

"Well, well. You seem happier then usual…"

Naruto stopped in his tracks as the lazy voice addressed him. At first he thought it might have been Kakashi, but as he looked to right, he found Shikamaru leaning against the side of a building. "Shikamaru?" Naruto questioned, cocking his head to the side. Then he smiled. "Shikamaru!" he said again, but this time louder, and with more enthusiasm.

Shikamaru brought his hands to his ears. "Jeez," he said lazily. "Why do you have to be so loud? How can Sakura and Sasuke stand it?" Naruto only laughed. "Speaking of Sasuke," Shikamaru continued, bringing his hands from his head to his pockets. "How is he? I've heard from Ino he's been out for awhile…" Naruto turned serious and frowned.

"Yeah…Sakura's really out of it…"

"So what happened?"

Naruto looked up at Shikamaru. His face showed mild curiosity, but for a second, Naruto debated telling him or not…He hadn't really liked Shikamaru in the Academy days, and that didn't change when they became genin. In fact, they hadn't really become friends until the Third Chunin Exam. He smiled. At least Shikamaru would act like a friend, and carry a conversation with him every now and then. Where as Sasuke would just give him the cold shoulder whenever Naruto, suggested a quick training session together, or try to talk about something. Sasuke would always turn away, muttering something about a waste of time, and leave.

"Well," Naruto said, answering Shikamaru's question. "I don't really know what happened," he shrugged, " but Kakashi-sensei said he collapsed from chakra exhaustion." Shikamaru whistled as he said that.

"Chakra exhaustion? Man, that sucks… A ninja only suffers chakra exhaustion when a person has no chakra, and they perform a jutsu, or try to do a task that they can't do without chakra. From lack of chakra, the body can't respond well enough to what the mind wants to do, and their for, will collapse or give in all together. Sasuke was lucky; he could've died just as easily as he collapsed." Shikamaru finished his rant with a one of his trademark yawns.

Naruto nodded, even though he didn't know that, but perhaps had experienced it. His mind shot back to his battle with Gaara. After using all his chakra, even the bit the Nine Tailed Fox had lent him, he still tried to attack Gaara. He remembered how he was crawling towards him, even though he had no strength or chakra, still ready to fight. Then Sasuke had come, and told him Sakura was okay. Then, as Sasuke told him, he passed out. _Probably from chakra exhaustion… _he realized, going over what Shikamaru had said.

"Hey, Naruto!" Naruto was snapped out of his thought by Shikamaru's words. He looked at him. "You gonna finish?" he continued, yawning.

Naruto's eyes widened, then he grinned. "Oh, yeah, sorry." He scratched the back of his head sheepishly. "Kakashi-sensei won't tell me exactly what Sasuke was doing when he collapsed, but I assume he was training, and just overdid it…" He trailed off, knowing he did the exact same thing sometimes.

Shikamaru was nodding. "Yeah, ok, I guess that makes sense." He yawned again, and stepped away from the wall he was leaning on. "Well," he said, walking in the opposite direction Naruto was going. He waved over his shoulder. "See ya, around."

Naruto grinned, and continued his walk to the hospital. As he walked, he thought about chakra exhaustion. Shikamaru had explained it, and yet, he barely understood it. He could figure it out well enough to know it was a bad thing. Even though he hated to admit it, Sasuke was strong, and if he collapsed from chakra exhaustion, and remained out of it for two whole days, it had to be a pretty bad thing. He made a mental note to try to not overdo it if was low on chakra.

When he reached the hospital, he was about to climb to Sasuke's room, but decided against it. He might startle the already worried Sakura. So he used the front entrance, and headed for the stairs.

-

Sasuke ached all over. Why was he hurting so bad? He suddenly realized he was lying on something soft, in a cool, silent room, except for the light breathing coming from his left side. He slowly opened his eyes, taking in his surroundings. He was in a hospital room, no doubt about that. The light breathing was Sakura; he found her snoozing in a chair beside him. _Figures Sakura would be here, _he thought miserably. With difficulty, he managed to sit up, trying to remember what had happened.

He was sitting in a tree, after his spar with Naruto, thinking about what Kakashi had just told him. Then those sound ninja appeared, and invited him to come with Orochimaru. He refused, and fought them, but didn't win. _It was four on one! _He thought defensively. He remembered he killed one of them…The big guy. Then he got mad for some reason he couldn't recall, and that stupid curse mark took over. Then…Then Kakashi appeared and calmed him down somehow…and then…and then…nothing. He brought his hand to his forehead trying to remember if anything else had happened, then he noticed Sakura stir. He looked at her as she opened her eyes.

She looked a little drowsy at first, but then, obviously noticing he was awake, her eyes widened and formed tears. She rushed forward, knocking the chair over as she did, and grabbed Sasuke into a tight hug. "S-Sasuke!" He heard her stutter. He would have broken the hug the second she wrapped her arms around him, but he was to damn tired.

"I-I'm so glad y-your alright, Sasuke!" she said between sobs of happiness, squeezing him tighter. A hug was one thing, but squeezing him to death was another.

"S-Sakura!" he choked out, his body killing him. "T-To tight, Sakura!"

"Oh!" Sakura exclaimed, letting go of him, and stepping back. She was beaming, and bouncing up and down on her feet, as if his waking up was the best thing in the world. God it annoyed him "Sasuke," she said, her eyes gleaming with concern. "Can I get you anything? You're probably hungry since you've been sleeping for two days…"

"Two days?" Sasuke repeated in surprise. Two days… How? It seemed like he had had that battle ten minutes ago!

"Well yeah," Sakura said, blushing and smiling at him.

Sasuke couldn't believe it. It looked like Sakura was about to say something else, but she was interrupted when the door opened. Naruto walked into the room with his eyes closed and wearing that stupid grin of his. "Hey, Sakura, guess what Kakashi-sensei just told me?" He stopped in his tracks when he opened his eyes. There was Sasuke sitting up in his bed, looking straight at him.

Naruto's eyes widened, then he smiled, walking over to Sasuke's side, standing beside Sakura. "I knew you'd come out of it sooner or later, Sasuke." Naruto laughed.

Sasuke could only smirk to hide his confusion. Did Naruto know about the sound ninja? Had Kakashi told him? Sasuke glanced around the room furtively. Where was Kakashi anyway?

"Naruto?" Sakura said, grabbing his attention. "You wanted to tell me something?"

Naruto's eyes widened, he had forgotten all about it.

"Oh yeah. I came to tell you, Kakashi-sensei said he thought Sasuke might wake up this afternoon, but" he glanced at Sasuke, "obviously, he miscalculated." He chuckled, throwing his hands behind his head.

Sakura nodded. "Yep."

Naruto chuckled again, as he looked back at Sasuke. "Oh, guess what, Sasuke." Sasuke said nothing. "We've got a new mission. Sensei said that as soon as you woke up, we'd get a new mission so…" He trailed off, the rest was self-explanatory.

Sakura beamed excitingly. "Really, a new mission? Alright, it's been ages since we've had one."

Naruto nodded in agreement.

Sasuke closed his eyes. A mission? _It better be challenging. I'm tired of all these straight forward boring missions…I want a mission that will test my skill!_

"Isn't great, Sasuke?" He heard Sakura address him. He opened his eyes, and smiled slightly.

"Yeah, sure is…" he said calmly.

Just then, Kakashi hoped through the open window, taking them all by surprise. "Yo." He said, lazily. Naruto was annoyed to say the least.

"Why do you always show up at the oddest times, sensei!" he yelled at him, but Kakashi was didn't answer. He was looking at Sasuke.

"Good to see you're awake, Sasuke," he said in his usual laid back tone. Sasuke only nodded in response. "Alright, when all of you are ready, meet me at the Hokage tower at six. We need to get details on that mission, that is, if you're up to it, Sasuke…"

Sasuke smirked, and he winced as he threw his legs over the side of the bed, and stood up, slowly. He glared at Kakashi. "I'm up for it," was all he said.

Kakashi smiled under his mask. "Good. Alright, everyone, six." With that he was out the window just as fast as he had come threw. Naruto, Sakura, and Sasuke stood quietly for a moment, then, they all headed out into the hallway, and down the steps, Sasuke wincing every now and then. After Sasuke had checked out of the hospital, they were standing outside its entrance.

"See you two at six," Sakura said, looking at Sasuke one last time before she took off in the direction of her house. After all, she was starving…

Naruto watched her go, and smiled to himself.

"Hey, Naruto."

Naruto looked at Sasuke who was staring at Naruto intently. "Yeah?"

Sasuke looked at the ground, his fists clenched. "I swear I'm gonna get stronger." He thought about the huge hole Naruto had made through the water tower three days ago. He thought about the sound ninja, and how he gotten his ass handed to him. Then, he thought about Gaara. He thought about how he couldn't do anything to him, and yet Naruto was able to defeat him! "I _know _I'm gonna get stronger, and when I do," he smirked. " You better watch out, because we haven't had a real match yet…"

Naruto smiled and laughed. Sasuke looked up in surprise. "I'm gonna get stronger too, Sasuke, and when we do fight again…I won't hold back!" The two rivals stared each other down, neither moving. Naruto was smiling, and Sasuke was smirking, then, slowly, they turned, each going their separate ways.

Kakashi had witnessed the whole thing from the hospital rooftop. He sighed. _Doesn't look like the teamwork's gonna get any better. _He watched as Sasuke went in one direction, Naruto in the other. He pulled out his book, and began to read where he left off. _Hard to believe those two are best friends…_ He chuckled as he flipped a page in his book.

**End of Chapter.**


	3. Mission Underway

**Chapter 3**

**Mission Underway**

Naruto walked briskly to the Hokage Tower. It was 5:55, and he was going to be late if he didn't hurry. Walking through the crowed streets of the village, he looked around. Everyone was giving him their usual, cold, almost terrifying stares. He looked at the ground, and quickened his pace. As he neared the Hokage Tower, he saw Sakura and Sasuke were already there. Sakura was sitting on the ground, holding her knees to her chest, with a sad look on her face. Sasuke, back to his old attire that consisted of a blue shirt and white shorts, had his eyes closed, his hands stuffed in his pockets.

"Hey, Sakura," Naruto said, as he approached his two friends. "Hey, Sasuke."

Sakura didn't respond, but Sasuke, surprisingly, said, "Hello, loser…" Naruto fumed.

"Sasuke!" But before he could say anything else, Kakashi appeared, landing behind Naruto, and placing a hand on his shoulder.

. "Naruto…"he drawled. "Now's not the time to start a fight." Naruto looked up at Kakashi for a moment, then, with great difficulty, calmed himself down.

Sasuke looked at Kakashi. "So what's this mission about?" he asked.

Kakashi shrugged. "I don't know myself…" Sasuke looked like he was about to say something, but he merely closed his eyes, and continued to act all 'cool'… God how Naruto hated it! Kakashi yawned under his mask. "Shall we go get the mission information?"

Naruto beamed excitedly. "Of course!" he said loudly, bouncing on his toes. Sasuke didn't say anything, and trailed after Kakashi, whom was already opening the double doors to the tower. Naruto was about to enter the tower as well, until he saw Sakura hadn't moved from her position on the ground. He found this odd…

"Sakura?" he said quietly, trying to grab her attention. She didn't stir. "Sakura!" he said louder. Sakura jumped. Naruto saw her eyes widen, and her gaze slowly drifting around, eventually landing on him. "Are you…ok?" he asked, taking a step toward her.

Sakura looked down at the ground, as if debating to answer him or not. She looked back up at him, putting on a smile…A smile that Naruto could tell was fake… "Oh, I'm fine, Naruto." She said in a matter of fact voice. "Just…a little nervous about the mission, that's all." She stood up, and briskly walked past him, flashing another smile his way before entering the tower.

Naruto frowned. Something was a right.

**-**

"Hey, Grandma Tsunade, what's the mission?"

These were the very loud words Naruto yelled as soon as he walked into the Hokage office. Tsunade's brow twitched in annoyance, Kakashi sighed under his mask, Sasuke frowned in aggravation, and Sakura seemed to haven't of heard.

"Naruto," Kakashi said. "Give the Hokage a break…" Naruto scratched the back of his head sheepishly.

Tsunade cleared her throat, and everyone looked at her, knowing now wasn't the time to joke around. "For you're mission," she said slowly, "I have picked a B-Rank." _Yes, yes, yes, yes, yes, yes! _Naruto thought triumphantly. "It seems a group of roguee ninja have been ransacking towns all over the Land of Fire. The towns are losing everything, and it's costing the Fire Lord a huge amount of money. You're mission, is to find these ninja's base and take them out, even if you have to kill…"

Sasuke smirked in delight. _Excellent! Rogue ninja will be perfect for testing my power…I couldn't have asked for a better mission!_

Kakashi sighed. _Rogue ninja? Kill them? Why did she have to pick a mission like this? I'm confident Sasuke and Naruto will be able to handle this no problem…but…_ He glanced at Sakura, whom was staring at the floor wide eyed. _Sakura…I can't imagine her killing anyone…_He cleared his throat, and spoke up lazily, "Are you sure that's the only mission there is, Lord Hokage?"

Naruto and Sasuke looked at him in surprise. The Hokage only smiled.

"Why yes, Kakashi, it is. It's the mission I've selected, and it's the mission you'll do." Her reply was dead on, and unarguable. Kakashi didn't respond. "Now, go and pack. You all leave tonight!"

"Alright!" Naruto yelled as he, Sasuke, and Sakura filed out of the room.

"I'll see you all at nine at the village gates!" he called cheerfully over his shoulder. When they were out of earshot he turned to the Hokage, eye narrowed, ready to protest. "Lord Hokage, I-" She put her hand up, silencing him.

"I know what you are about to say, Kakashi," she said slowly, "and my response is simple…I had to."

Kakashi stared, surprised. "You had to? You had to give us a mission to find rogue ninja and kill them? I mean, sure, Naruto, Sasuke, and myself could handle this no problem, but Sakura just doesn't have the strength, or state of mind to do something like that!"

Tsunade closed her eyes and turned her chair around to face the window overlooking the village. Then, she began to speak. "I have already given the rest of the rookie nine, and, even, Gai's team a mission that resembles this, or is somewhat different, but still involves killing someone, or a group of people." She turned to face him again. "All these missions were successful."

"But why would you give genin teams missions like those?"

"Because," she said calmly, "the alliances between the shinobi villages are growing weak. The village of Konoha needs to be ready to fight off any attackers, and that means everyone must fight…including the genin."

"But haven't the genin already proven themselves!"

"Not," Tsunade responded, shaking her finger at him, "in a real time situation where it counts, where they must be prepared to kill at all costs!"

"My team has!" Kakashi replied, angrily. "You read the report I filed out on the Land of Waves mission, right?" Tsunade nodded.

"It is true your team has faced real time danger, but they were not able to thwart off that danger."

"Naruto did!"

"Yes, but only by using the power of the Nine Tailed Fox! Witch, may I remind you, you were supposed to keep him from using at all costs!"

Kakashi flailed. "I couldn't help it! I was being held back by a jonin!"

Tsunade smiled. "And there's where my point sneaks in. What if they were being held off by jonin if the village was attacked? What if they aren't able to kill him because they have no experience in the matter?"

"…"

Tsunade smile grew as she continued. "By the way, if memory serves, wasn't one of your teammates almost killed by a mere boy?" Kakashi looked down at the floor. He had no response. Tsunade smirked at her victory. "Now, leave, Kakashi, and don't fail this mission." Kakashi had stepped into the hallway when the Hokage addressed him again. "Oh, by the way." Kakashi turned to face her, only to catch a scroll that nearly hit him in the face. "That's a map of everywhere those ninja have ransacked. I suspect they're base is in the forest somewhere in between the towns somewhere."

Kakashi nodded, and turned to leave before he was addressed a third time. "Oh, and, Kakashi." He looked over his shoulder at her. Her face held a serious expression. "Don't let Naruto harness that Fox's power. If he accidentally releases the seal…there's no telling what will happen." Kakashi nodded, and left, closing the door behind him.

**-**

Sakura was in her room, packing her backpack with everything she thought she might need on the mission. Scrolls, food, ninja tools, and even some food pills, just in case. She sighed as she looked out her window. She was sad, hurt, and angry about what happened today…About what Sasuke had said to her…

"_Hey, Sasuke!" Sakura said when she arrived at the Hokage Tower. Sasuke didn't say or do anything. "So, how are you feeling?" she asked blushing. _

"_Fine…" he replied calmly._

"_Oh…" she blushed harder. "So are you excited about the mission?"_

"_Yes…" God he was so hot! Sakura couldn't help but stare at him. She had been debating asking him out to eat all the way here. She decided to chance it. _

"_Say, Sasuke, how about we go out to eat sometime after the mission is over?" She crossed her fingers. Sasuke opened his eyes and stared at her. _

"_Sakura…" he said coldly. "How many times do I have to tell you? I don't like you, and I probably never will. The truth is… you're weak. In fact, while I'm on the topic, why don't you take up some private sessions with Kakashi. You're holding this team back. Naruto may not be as good as me, but he's still good enough to help this team along. You…well…you're just weak…"_

_Sakura was stunned. How could he just say something like that? She didn't understand. She was hurt. It was just too much to take in all at once. So she sat down on the ground, and pulled her knees into her chest, as if, to protect herself from her surroundings, and began to think._

Sakura sighed again as she continued to pack. _"I don't like you, and I probably never will." _His words stung, they stung a lot. Not only did he come right out and say he didn't like her, but he even called her weak. She liked Sasuke, but for him to just say stuff like that, it wasn't right. It made her feel useless. How come no one had told her this before? How come Naruto or Kakashi didn't mention it to her…Why did it have to come from Sasuke?

She knew she wasn't that strong, but she never dreamed Sasuke thought that way about her. _"I don't like you, and I probably never will." _ She couldn't take it. She had to get these thoughts out of her mind. She had to forget about them. She felt tears fall from her face, landing on her bed. She had to forget about what Sasuke had said.

"_I don't like you, and probably never will."_

But why was it so damn hard?

-

Sasuke was walking calmly to the village gate. He couldn't stop thinking about the mission. Finally, a mission that would bring him to his limits. He chuckled inwardly. It was growing more exciting by the second. The streets of Konoha, he noticed, were a lot more calmer then usual. As he walked by a restaurant, he glanced in the window. Inside was Kiba, Shino, Hinata, and there sensei, Sasuke forgot her name. They were all laughing and talking and looked like they were having a good time. He frowned. Whenever he saw an image like this, he just wanted to hit something. It always reminded him of how his family used to be. All cheerful and laughing, not a care in the world, but that all changed…He clenched his fists and frowned harder. _Damn, Itachi! _He hurried onward, eager to get away from the scene.

When he arrived at the gate, he found that he was the first one there. He sighed, leaned against one of the gate poles, and closed his eyes. He dropped his backpack at his feet, and waited. After about fifteen minutes, he heard loud footsteps bounding their way closer. He smiled. _Naruto…_ When he opened his eyes, he found he was right. Naruto was running toward him, grinning. He waved, and Sasuke only did a small wave in return.

"So," Naruto said when he reached Sasuke. "Excited?" Sasuke nodded.

"Yep." Naruto widened his grin, and dropped his pack to the ground as well. Sitting down beside it, looking up at Sasuke.

"You think, Kakashi-sensei will be on time, or late like he always is?" Naruto asked.

Sasuke merely shook his head. "Dunno…It sorta varies. Although I expect he'll be late today." It was Friday, and Kakashi, he noted, was late for everything on Friday.

"Naruto nodded. "Yeah, he'll probably be late."

Quiet footsteps could be heard now, and Sasuke could tell right away they belonged to Sakura. He recalled what he had said to her earlier. Looking back at it know, he had been a little more mean then he had intended to be before deciding to say it, but it was the truth. He didn't like Sakura in the way she liked him, simple as that, but, obviously, she couldn't take any of the hints he was constantly dropping. He also didn't regret calling her weak. That was also the truth. She was weak, and no matter how hard the team trained, she never seemed to improve, and always got in the way. He or Naruto was constantly saving her.

When she arrived, Naruto instantly turned on the ground and said hi. She responded with her own hello, and looked at Sasuke, who looked away, avoiding her gaze. He didn't want her to start talking about earlier; all he needed now was Naruto to go own a unstoppable rampage. Luckily, at that moment, Kakashi appeared out of nowhere.

"Yo," he said lazily as always. Naruto looked at him in surprise.

"Sensei!" he shouted looking at his watch. "You're…on time?!" Kakashi laughed.

"I'm not late all the time, Naruto."

_Could've fooled me… _Sasuke thought, sighing. Kakashi laughed again.

"Okay, this is a very important mission…So let's go ahead and move out!"

"Right!" Naruto said, getting off the ground, and giving Kakashi a salute.

And with that, Team 7 was jumping through the forest. They were moving in the same direction for about five minutes when Sasuke realized something.

"Do you even know where we're going?" he asked, increasing his speed so he was jumping level with Kakashi. Kakashi said nothing and tossed him a scroll. Sasuke looked at it for a second before opening it. He was surprised to find a very detailed map, showing all the towns the rogue ninja had raided, where they would most likely be in the forest they were jumping through right now, and circles where, he assumed, ninja had been spotted throughout the forest. "Wow…" he exclaimed.

Kakashi chuckled. "Yep. You can thank the Hokage for that." Sasuke only nodded as he rolled the scroll up, and tossed it back to Kakashi. "They're somewhere in this forest. Hopefully, it won't take that long to find them and kill them off. We could be heading back to the village tomorrow if we're lucky." Sasuke nodded again. He looked over his shoulder, and found Naruto and Sakura conversing. He wondered, for a second, if Sakura was telling Naruto about what he had said to her, but quickly shook the thought off as he realized Naruto would be trying to punch him for doing something so cruel. So he faced forward again, and continued on.

Trying to find these ninja, Naruto realized, would not be easy. They had been traveling through the forest for about three hours now, and hadn't slowed down for anything. Not even to go to the bathroom. He looked to his left, and saw Sakura breathing heavily. _She must be tired, _he deduced. "Sakura…" he said.

Sakura looked at him. "What is it, Naruto?" She was surprised to find him blushing, and twiddling his fingers.

"If you want," he said, bashfully. "I can carry you." Sakura was about to hit him for saying such a thing, but stopped herself. She _was_ tired, and he _was_ offering…

"_I don't like you, and probably never will."_

Sasuke's words flashed through her mind. _No, I refuse to show Naruto or Sasuke that I'm weak! _She wasn't about to give in. She refused to.

"I'm fine, Naruto."

Naruto frowned, but didn't ask any further. He wasn't buying it. He could tell she was exhausted. He increased his speed so he was jumping along side Kakashi. "Hey, Sensei, I think we should rest for a bit."

Kakashi was about to ask him why, but he looked behind him and saw how tired Sakura looked. He nodded. "Alright!" he called out to Sasuke and Sakura. "It's getting late. We should stop to rest and eat!" He dropped down through the trees and leaves, and landed in a wide clearing. _Perfect! _He thought, dropping his bag. Naruto, Sasuke, and Sakura dropped down too, each of them sat down against a tree. Sakura tried not to breathe hard; she didn't want Sasuke to see her so tired. She pulled out a sandwich from her pack, and began to munch on it hungrily. Naruto sat down beside her, chomping on an apple.

"Yo," he said. "I was so hungry; I just had to ask Kakashi sensei to stop for a sec!" He took another bite of the apple, and smiled. Sakura could only giggle at his actions.

Sasuke watched his two friends from across the clearing, and he chuckled to himself. Maybe he should apologize to Sakura about what he said earlier. He debated it for a second, then decided it was the right thing to do. He stood up, and began to walk over to them, but five kunai flew out of the trees, coming right at him. He acted quickly, and did a back flip to avoid them. His eyes were glued to the spot they came from. Kakashi was on his feet, looking around, obviously trying to find the ninja. Naruto and Sakura were also standing up, each had a kunai in hand, and ready for a fight.

"Show yourselves!" Kakashi shouted. Laughter could be heard from every direction, then someone spoke.

"Looks like that tip that ninja would be comin' to eliminate us was true…" Sasuke was confused, even though the voice had spoken, he was still having a hard time finding its owner's position. Another voice piped up.

"Yeah, but I thought the Leaf Village would send more then this. Three kids, and an old man… Ha! What a joke!"

Sasuke couldn't help but stifle a laugh. They were calling Kakashi old because of his hair color. Suddenly, three figures appeared before them. Each holding a kunai, each ready to fight.

"Shall we?" one said.

"Lets!" the other two responded.

And then they charged.

**End of Chapter.**

**A/N **Sorry it took so long to get this out! I didn't have as much free time as I thought…Anyway, school will be starting soon, so don't expect fast updates, however I will be writing every chance I get, so the wait shouldn't be to long. Please, just be patient! Anyway I hope this will be enough to tie you over. Until next time!


	4. Sarota

**Chapter 4**

**Sarota**

Naruto couldn't believe it. Here they were, trying to track down some rogue ninja, and _they _get discovered. He just couldn't believe it! The moment the ninja had charged at them, he immediately dropped his goofy attitude, and jumped out of the way of the ninja's rapid punches. He then threw his kunai at the ninja's now exposed back. It hit him, sending him off balance. _Got ya! _Naruto thought triumphantly. He landed, and ran toward the ninja, ready to give him a nice punch in the face. But in a poof of smoke, the ninja was gone, and in his place…was a log.

Naruto stopped short, surprise written all over his face. _Damn! A substitution! _ He looked around, franticly, straining his eyes to find his opponent. Suddenly, about ten kunai came at him from every direction. He narrowly avoided them. _Where is he? _He thought, looking around again. _I can't find him anywhere! _In a flash, the ninja was in front of him, sending Naruto to the ground with a punch. Naruto grunted as he hit the solid earth. _That was fast! _

"Naruto!" Sakura yelled. She threw her own kunai at the ninja. He ducked, not even turning to face her. She heard him mutter, "Too obvious," but he didn't do anything to her further. He grabbed Naruto by his collar, and held him in the air.

"You weak little fool," he breathed in his face. His breath smelled of old fish. "You can't beat me…" Naruto smiled.

"Oh yeah?" He quickly overlapped his middle and index fingers into a cross shape. "Shadow Clone Jutsu!" In a poof of smoke, two Narutos were on both sides of the real one. The ninja, taken by surprise, didn't expect the two punches that the newly formed Narutos gave him. He was sent back into a tree, the real Naruto being released from his grasp. "Let's finish this!" Running toward the ninja, all three Narutos pulled out a kunai, and threw them. The ninja, recovered from the last attack, was able to block them all with his own kunai.

"You'll have to do better then that!" the rogue nin boasted. He smiled, but then gasped as he spit up blood. He fell to the ground, a kunai imbedded in his back, and a fourth Naruto standing behind him. The ninja was dead. The Naruto who was standing behind the ninja frowned as the other three disappeared in a puff of smoke.

"Naruto!" Sakura said, running over to him. Naruto smiled as she approached. His face, then, contorted into concern.

"Are you okay, Sakura?" Sakura was shocked.

"Am I okay? I'm the one who should be asking if your okay."

Naruto seemed to not of heard. "Are you okay?" he asked again. Sakura sighed.

"Yes, Naruto, I'm fine." He smiled, and looked in another direction. Sakura followed his gaze, and saw Sasuke was still fighting a ninja. She gasped. Sasuke seemed to be struggling.

-

Sasuke was struggling. No matter what he tried, the ninja seemed to be able to dodge or block everything he threw at him. Sasuke ran for him, and punched. The ninja blocked it easily, and countered with his own punch that Sasuke was barely able to avoid. Sasuke jumped back, pulled a kunai from his holster, and threw it. The nin deflected it with his own kunai, and threw it. Sasuke ducked just in time as it flew over his head. _Well, well… _he thought, standing up straight. _Interesting… _

He jumped in the air, grabbed three kunai from his pouch, and threw them respectively. The ninja dodged them all, and jumped up to meet Sasuke in the air. As he came up, he kicked. Sasuke blocked it, and tried to elbow the ninja in the face, but missed as the ninja turned in the air. Now behind Sasuke, the ninja fired a couple of punches that would of seriously damaged him had he not twisted in the air, last second, and narrowly blocked them all. After grabbing the ninja's shirt for support, Sasuke was able to twist around again. As he was twisting, Sasuke managed to hit his opponent in the neck with the back of his forearm, sending him flying toward the ground.

The ninja hit the ground with a thud, and got to his knees. He was still not able to move from the impact. Sasuke, still in the air, made the correct hand signs, ending with the sign of the tiger. He smirked. "Fire Style: Pheonix Flower Jutsu!" He took a deep breath and shot out multiple fireballs at his enemy. The ninja, still not able to move, was a sitting duck as all of about twelve fireballs exploded into his body. His howl of pain was earsplitting, and Naruto and Sakura had to cover their ears to drown out the horrible noise…But soon, the howls stopped, and the only thing Sakura saw was a body sprawled out across the forest floor, smoking, and still had small flames on his arms and back that hadn't gone away yet. It was a horrible sight. She felt the tears coming, but couldn't hold them back as she buried her face in Naruto's chest.

At first, Naruto was surprised to find that the pink haired ninja had buried her face into him, but he soon understood why, and wrapped a protective arm around her.

Sasuke looked over at Sakura, then back at the ninja. He sighed. Perhaps he could have ended it in a cleaner way. He glanced over at Kakashi, who was standing over a motionless nin. He was staring intently at the body. Sasuke walked over.

"What's up," he asked. Kakashi looked at him.

"I'm confused…"

Sasuke was mildly surprised. "About what?"

Kakashi sighed, and leaned backwards to stretch his back. "These ninja…Well…Usually, rogue ninja aren't as good as real ninja. You see, they don't really have the time to train everyday like we do, so usually, their ninja skills weaken, and aren't as developed."

Sasuke nodded.

Kakashi continued. "But, these ninja…They weren't like that…They were as strong as ever, it seemed. Looks like they keep up with their skills just as much as we do."

Sasuke nodded again. So they might be facing ninja just as strong as Zabuza was? He couldn't help but smile. _Very interesting in deed…_

Kakashi looked over at the smoldering flesh Sasuke had left behind. Then, he glanced at the body lying on the ground by Naruto. His gaze shifted to the crying Sakura. He sighed. This was going to be a long mission…

-

Team 7 was jumping threw the trees once more. Kakashi was in front, followed by Sasuke, Naruto after that, and Sakura was bringing up the rear. They were going far faster then they were before the ninja found them. Kakashi was convinced that the other ninja already knew they were here, and, as such, they were going as fast as possible to find them, before they were found. They had been doing this for about half an hour. Sometimes they would get a break when Kakashi stopped for about ten seconds just to look around. Then, when he stopped, they were off again. Naruto didn't feel like asking him what he was doing, he was too worried about Sakura. These ninja were strong, and Sakura didn't stand a chance. Sure, he would always tell her she was strong, but deep down, he knew she didn't stand a chance. He wanted to believe, but he just couldn't…

Kakashi stopped again, and his team followed suit. They were all breathing heavily, and Kakashi noticed. They were going too fast, but they didn't have time to slow down. These ninja were no joke, he could feel it. He debated what course of action to take. If they kept traveling like this, they were sure to bump into them eventually. He wondered if they should split up. If anything, it would put his team at a disadvantage, but they _would_ be able to cover more ground. It was tough, he was sure his team could take care of themselves…But he didn't know the exact number of ninja, he didn't even have an estimate…Split up or stay together…Split up or stay together…He decided.

"Listen, everyone," he said, turning around to face them. "I've decided on a course of action."

Everything was silent, no one said anything. No one moved. After about two minutes, Kakashi still hadn't said anything. Sasuke was getting annoyed.

"Well?" he asked. "You gonna tell us?"

Kakashi's good eye looked at him in surprise. "Huh? Tell you what?"

_Unbelievable! _"The action!" Sasuke said, halting himself from lunging at him in annoyance. "The course of action!"

Kakashi's eye still held mock confusion, but then it widened. "Oh!" he said, scratching the back of his head sheepishly. "That's right. Sorry, I kind of zoned out there…" He cleared his throat. The truth was, he was doing a little last minute debating whether this was the right decision or not. "We're splitting up!"

-

It was, Sasuke guessed, about one or two in the morning. Darkness had surrounded them, and it was a cool night, giving off an eerie atmosphere. He, Sakura, and Naruto had taken a short break on a tree limb. They had separated from Kakashi about three hours ago, and Sakura suggested they stop for a minute, to regain their strength. Sasuke couldn't help but notice it was a fine suggestion, and had agreed. They were all sitting on a high limb on a very tall tree. Naruto was eating an apple, Sakura, snacking on a rice ball, and Sasuke, himself, was partaking in his own rice ball. They had been eating for about two minutes. Naruto decided to break the silence.

"So," he asked Sasuke. "What's the plan of action?"

Sasuke swallowed his bite, and leaned back against the tree trunk. "Well," he began, "first we need to find the rogue ninja's base, at least then, we'll know how many we're up against. If it's not many, the three of us can take them, but if it's a lot, then we'll go find Kakashi." He finished, taking a swallow of water. Naruto nodded, understanding.

He finished his apple, and threw the core to the ground. Sasuke stood. "Alright, let's keep moving." He looked at Sakura. She nodded, and packed up her remaining rice balls. She put the box in her pack, and stood up as well. In a swift movement the three of them were gone, jumping across tree branches once again.

Another half hour of jumping went by, and Sasuke hadn't seen anything. He was beginning to wonder if the ninja base was in this forest at all, but suddenly, he felt a chakra signature. He stopped on the branch he was on. Naruto and Sakura stopped on the one behind him.

"What's wrong, Sasuke?" Sakura asked. Sasuke turned to face his friends.

"I've found them." He said quietly, and then jumped off. Naruto smiled, and then followed. Sakura after him.

-

When the three genin arrived at the source of the chakra signature, they found something surprising. In a man made clearing, there were many tents scattered about, and plenty of ninja walking around, talking, or snoozing under the moon. Sasuke was caught of guard by the sheer number of them.

_This can't be! _He thought worriedly, looking threw the bush they were hiding behind. _I would've placed their number at about twenty…But…There has to be at least fifty of them!_ He glanced around, and saw Naruto and Sakura having the same thought, as was worry was sketched across their faces. This was too big for them to handle alone. He turned and faced his friends.

"Listen," he said quietly. "We gotta find Kakashi. They are too many of them for us to take on our own." Naruto and Sakura nodded, and soon, they were jumping threw the trees again.

They hadn't gone three minutes before Naruto spoke up.

"Hey, Sasuke, wait a sec!" He stopped. Sasuke looked back, and stopped as well. Sakura was standing behind Naruto, wondering what he had to say. Naruto looked down at the ground for a minute, then back up to Sasuke. "We can take them, Sasuke." He said simply. His voice held complete confidence; he was so sure in the matter.

Sasuke looked at him in surprise. "What…? Naruto, are you crazy?"

Naruto didn't flinch or even get mad about Sasuke's words. "No," he said. "Look, Sasuke, if I just make enough Shadow Clones, then there's no reason we can't win."

Now Sasuke was getting annoyed. "Naruto, this isn't the Forest of Death, these are elite ninja we're up against! We both had trouble against one, so what makes you think we can beat fifty!"

Naruto looked back down at the ground. When he looked at Sasuke again, his face held a grin. "I know that! I was only kidding!"

Sakura almost fell off the branch she was standing on. Only kidding? But it sounded so genuine… Sasuke was glaring at Naruto with complete annoyance. "You loser! We just wasted so much time because of that!"

Naruto was still grinning. "Yeah, I know," he said sheepishly. "Sor-"

It happened in a flash.

Sakura didn't even see the kunai fly by her, and it struck Naruto right in the back. Sasuke's eyes widened. Everything seemed to move in slow motion as Naruto was falling off his branch. The blood spilling from the wound was barely visible in the night air. Sasuke pulled a kunai from his holster and threw it in the direction that one had come from. He jumped off his branch, and caught Naruto in the air as he was falling. He could feel blood dripping on his hands. He landed on the ground, and ordered Sakura to come down there as well. He gently laid Naruto on the ground as Sakura landed.

"Naruto?" Sasuke said. There was no response, Naruto didn't even move. "Naruto!" He said louder. This time, Naruto's eyes blinked half open. His mouth moved, but Sasuke couldn't hear the words. "Sakura!" He turned his head towards the pink haired girl. "Medical Kit! Now!"

Sakura didn't need telling twice. Fighting back tears, she reached into her pack, and pulled out a white box, with a red cross on it. She handed it to Sasuke. He didn't pretend to know how to use half the stuff in the box, but he did know how to patch up a wound. He reached into the box, and grabbed a square cloth. He rolled Naruto over, and inspected the wound.

The kunai had hit Naruto in the dead center of his back. Sasuke didn't take that as a good sign. The wound, itself, was small, but no doubt fatal. If he removed the kunai, he was sure lots of blood would pour out. He debated how to approach it. In the end, he had Sakura quickly remove the kunai as he put the patch over it. Not a lot of blood had escaped, and he was happy about that.

But soon his mood changed.

His happiness was replaced...

By anger.

"Naruto," he said, fists clenched. He stood. How could he have let this happen? How could he have let one of his friends get hurt?

_This kunai…_ he thought twirling the bloody weapon his hand. _There's no doubt it came from one of those ninja…_He slid the kunai into his holster, then looked down at Naruto. His anger was replaced by pure rage.

"Sakura…" he said quietly. Sakura looked at Sasuke's backside. "Stay here, and look after Naruto. Change the bandage in a little while, but don't leave this spot." He turned to face her, his black eyes drilling into her jade ones. "Protect Naruto with your life."

Sakura wasn't fully understanding. "Wait, where are you going?" Sasuke looked at her, and, for a moment, she thought she saw sorrow in his expression. It was only for a moment, but she was sure of it.

"No one hurts my friends and gets a way with it," he said quietly. "I'm going to kill the person who did this to Naruto."

And with that, he was gone.

Sakura sighed, and took a seat beside Naruto. She was extremely worried, not only for Naruto, but for Sasuke now, too. She glanced at Naruto. She had never seen him look so…helpless before; it kind of scared her. She was also worried about Kakashi. There was no telling what he was doing. Was he okay? She guessed so. He _is _the copy ninja after all.

There was no telling when Sasuke would come back, so she might as well get comfortable. She pulled a blanket from her pack, and wrapped it around herself. When she looked back at Naruto's sleeping form, lying on the hard ground, she felt a little selfish. She removed his jacket, folded it up, and slipped it under his head like a pillow. There. Now she didn't feel as bad. She wrapped herself in the blanket again, and waited.

-

Sasuke was coming up on the ninja base. He stopped and hid himself behind the same bush he hid behind earlier. He looked threw the bush, taking in all the ninja, and the activities they were doing. He looked around the clearing, trying to find someone who looked like they had been out recently. His gaze landed, and followed two ninja who were fast walking across the clearing, heading towards the largest tent. They stopped outside the entrance.

"Captain!" one said with force. "I did not know you had returned." After saying this, the tent entrance swooshed open, and out stepped a tall, buff man. He held himself proud, and without worry. Sasuke could only guess he was the leader of these ninja. The "leader" smiled.

"Of course, even the leader of this band of ninja has to do his share of patrol." He laughed. "And I even got a little action out of it!" The two ninja looked confused.

"What do you mean, Captain Sarota?" Sarota laughed again.

"As I was patrolling, I ran into, it looked like, three genin. Two had their backs turned, and didn't look like they would be all that welcome. So I threw two kunai at them, one missed, but the other, hit a kid in orange so hard, it sent him off the branch he was standing on!" At this point, Sarota couldn't hold back his laughs. He was actually holding his side. "But that kid's hurt big time! I heard one of them call for a medical kit! It was hilarious!" Now, the other two ninja had joined in with the laughing, and Sasuke couldn't take it anymore.

He sprinted from his hiding place. He had learned something new just now. Not only had this guy hurt Naruto, he had planned to hurt Sakura too. And that he just couldn't accept. He grabbed a kunai from his pouch, and took the first ninja by surprise, slicing his neck in anger. The ninja fell to the ground, dead. The second ninja was ready, taking out his own kunai. After a couple of steel on steel slashes, Sasuke was finally able to get behind the guy, slash at his exposed back a couple of times, and eventually stabbing him. The ninja fell to the ground, motionless. Sasuke stood over the dead body, his bloody kunai held tightly in his hand.

Sasuke looked at the man called Sarota, and held his kunai in a battle stance. "That kid you hurt, is my friend. Now prepare yourself." Sarota didn't though, and, to Sasuke's surprise, his face held no expression of amazement, alarm, or even surprise. He was calm and collected.

"Who are you?" he asked calmly, still not in a battle position.

Sasuke smirked. "I am Uchiha Sasuke, and I'm the one who's going to kill you."

**End of Chapter.**

**A/N: **Okay, that one's out of the way. Thanks to all who are reviewing. Anyway, I'm going to start doing this!

(look below)

**Next Time: **Sasuke takes on Satoro, the mysterious leader of the rogue ninja. Can he avenge Naruto, or will he get beat down? Meanwhile, what's happening with Naruto and Sakura? And what has Kakashi been doing this whole time? Tune in to find out!


	5. Limitless

**A/N: **Hey guys, sorry for the long wait, but I've had a lot on my mind…anyway, enough about that, here's Chapter 5.

**Chapter 5**

**Limitless**

Finally, Sarota's expression changed. He was surprised.

"Uchiha?" he said, scratching his chin. "The surviving member of the Uchiha clan…Yes I've heard about you. They say you're a prodigy in Konoha."

Sasuke smirked. So he was famous among rogue ninja? He took this as a complement. He disbanded all ideas of gloating when he noticed Sarota taking a stance. "So," Sasuke said, holding his kunai out in front of him. "You ready to die?"

Sarota chuckled, which made Sasuke angry. "You? Kill me? Even if you are an Uchiha, I find that very hard to believe."

Sasuke fumed. "You'll regret saying that!"

He threw his kunai. Sarota leaned to the side and evaded. Sasuke ran towards him, fist drawn back for a punch. Sarota just stared at him. When Sasuke was finally in range, he punched as hard as he could.

He hit nothing… His fist had collided with air. In a flash, Sarota had appeared behind him. Sasuke could tell he was about to get punched, so he quickly leaned down, placed his hands on the ground, and was able to flip away from Sarota, just as he punched. Sasuke regained his composer, and turned to face him again, smirking. Sarota chuckled, and vanished. Sasuke was confused, and gasped in pain as a hand collided with his stomach, sending him flying into a tree. He shakily stood up, rubbing his stomach. Sarota didn't just look strong, he _was_ strong.

Seeing Sasuke in pain made Sarota happy. He chuckled to himself. Then, something caught his eye. Below him, nestled neatly on the ground, was a sparking explosive note that burst into flame. _Shit! _He thought worriedly.

An explosion was visible, and was heard around the large clearing. Many ninja began to run from where they had heard or seen the smoke of it. About forty of them gathered around the explosion, their eyes falling on a kid that was leaning against a tree, holding his stomach, and smirking. It was a smirk they didn't like…

Sasuke let out a sigh of relief. He had done it. He had beaten the leader of the ninja, now he head back to where Naruto was. But as the smoke cleared, Sasuke gasped at what he saw. _But how? No way! No way in hell he could've done that!_

Before him, before all of them, was a small dome made out of nothing but rock. Smoke was emitting from the dome, giving Sasuke the assumption it had taken the full heat of the explosion. The ninja around him were cheering, but Sasuke couldn't believe his eyes.

_No way! There's no way he could've had enough time to use a defensive Jutsu! _He was furious. Slowly, the dome began to crumple away, revealing an untouched Sarota. Sasuke couldn't hold it in any longer. "You bastard!" he yelled, pointing at him. "How could you do that?"

Sarota laughed. "I used to be the best Jonin in the Rock Village. You think I can be defeated that easily?" Sasuke snorted, and charged at him. When he was about five feet away, he jumped in the air, and did a downward kick at his opponent. Just like before, he hit nothing but air, and eventually the ground.

_What?_ He just managed to duck in time as a fist flew over his head. Knowing Sarota was behind him, he did a sweeping side kick, to knock him off his feet. It worked, for the most part. Sasuke was surprised to discover that Sarota had never hit the ground. He had vanished. He was fast. Sasuke stood up, looking all around the clearing, trying to catch sight of him.

Suddenly, a fist connected with his face, and another with his stomach, followed by a good knee in the same spot. He gasped in pain, and flipped backwards, eyeing the now visible Sarota. He rubbed his stomach, and frowned. _This guy…He's a lot tougher then he's leading on…_

Sarota was smiling. It was a smile Sasuke didn't like. He closed his eyes in concentration, trying to drown out all sounds around him. Then, he came up with a plan. He opened his now crimson eyes, and charged again, throwing some kunai. Sarota was able to dodge them easily, and also dodged the punch that Sasuke threw at him. He then used his maximum speed to circle around the Uchiha, and did what he thought, would be a damaging blow… If only Sasuke hadn't blocked it. Sarota was surprised. _He…blocked it! Impossible, no one can keep up with my speed! _

Sasuke began to throw round after round of punches at him, but he was able to block them all. Realizing he would never be able to get through Sarota's defense, Sasuke jumped back and stared down the rogue nin.

_This sucks_, he thought meekly. _I'll never get through this guy…_Then an idea struck him. He reached into his pouch and holster, and counted his remaining kunai. _Good, I've got enough._ He pulled out seven kunai, holding three between his fingers on both hands, and put the handle of the last one in his mouth, so it was horizontal. He opened his eyes wide, revealing the pure anger in them.

He threw the three kunai in his left hand at Sarota, who jumped about three feet in the air to avoid them. With blinding speed, Sasuke appeared below his opponent, and threw his other three kunai at Sarota's defenseless body. One missed, another ripped through his right sleeve and the last connected with his right shoulder.

"Argh!"

_Yes! _Sasuke thought as he took the last kunai from his mouth, and jumped up to meet Sarota in the air. Everything seemed to slow down as he met his opponent eye to eye. Sarota was off balance from his impacted shoulder, and was helpless to Susuke's next attack. Sasuke raised his kunai and prepared to strike.

"This is it for you! Now die!"

-

Sakura's eyes bust open, as she sat up and looked around franticly. She mentally kicked herself for falling asleep while she was watching Naruto. She looked over at the blond haired ninja and found him still sleeping silently. She yawned, and took about three gulps of water from her bottle. Suddenly, she heard a rustle in the trees, and readied herself with a kunai. She identified which tree it was, but only relaxed as an owl flew from it, heading off into the moon lit sky.

She felt a stir beside her, and looked over to find Naruto shaking. At first, she thought he was shaking because it was cold, but then she discovered he was shaking way too much for him to be cold. She leaned over him, trying to figure out what was wrong. She removed his headband, and put her hand to his forehead. He wasn't warm… She decided to check his pulse. What she felt surprised her. It was way faster then what it should be, but Naruto looked fine.

"…Sakura…" It was faint, but she heard it. She looked back at Naruto's face, to find his cerulean eyes staring back at her.

"Naruto-" she began, but got cut off.

"Where's…Sasuke?"

Sakura frowned. "He went to find the one who attacked you. He wasn't very pleased about what happened."

Naruto let a small chuckle escape. "Just like 'em…" He averted his eyes from her. "That kunai…had poison on it…"

Sakura's eyes widened. "What? How do you know?"

Naruto still wasn't looking at her. "I have…I just know…I can tell."

Sakura felt tears coming. She did her best to hold them back. "Oh, Naruto!" She collapsed on his chest, letting her eyes burst. She could feel Naruto shaking again. She looked through her tear filled eyes at Naruto. He had his eyes closed, and wasn't paying any attention to her. At first she was slightly annoyed that he was ignoring her, then she realized he wasn't paying attention to anything. He seemed to be in his on world.

When he spoke again, his voice was different. It was firmer, raspier, and had a sort of…negative feel to it. "Sakura…"

She jumped at the sound of her name in that tone of voice. "Yeah?"

He opened his eyes, and finally met her face to face again. Sakura…was scared. His eyes weren't the cool cerulean that she was used to, they were a hot bloody red. "We've got to find Sasuke. He's good, but he can't handle all this alone." She nodded. At that moment, his head suddenly turned to the right, staring at a tree. "I just felt a spike of chakra in that direction…Could be Sasuke."

In a flash, he was on his feet, carrying Sakura piggyback style. "Hold on," he said. And with that, they were jumping through the forest at breakneck speed.

Sakura, to say the least, was caught off guard. "Naruto," she said, breathlessly. "Are you sure it's wise to be moving. You've got poison running through your body!"

"It's being taken care of."

Before Sakura could ask further questions, Naruto increased his speed, knocking the wind out of her.

-

"Now die!"

Sasuke knew he was about to win. All he had to do was strike with his kunai, and it'd be over. About a foot away from Sarota's throat, his Sharigan spotted something to his left. A kunai was coming right for him. Without thinking, he threw his own kunai at the one he was in danger of being hit by. They clashed in the air, and went in their respective directions. When he landed back on the ground, Sasuke smirked at his dead on aim. Only when he noticed that Sarota landed too did he kick himself. He had wasted an excellent opportunity to kill Sarota, just to block the kunai. Now that he thought about it, he could have stabbed Sarota, then quickly deflected the kunai afterwards.

_God! _He thought, looking back at Sarota, who was smiling with full passion. _I can't believe I wasted that chance. _He smacked his forehead. _That's something I expect Naruto to do! _

Sarota began laughing. Sasuke just glared. "Pathetic," said Sarota. He snapped his fingers, and out from the crowd, stepped a person who looked exactly like Sarota. The figure disappeared in a puff of smoke. Sarota began laughing again as Sasuke realized.

"Shadow clones…" he said under his breath. "But when?"

Three more clones came out of nowhere, making a triangle around him. Eyeing them cautiously, and tried to think of a plan. One Sarota was bad enough, but three…Three he wasn't sure he could handle. He decided improvising would be the best way.

He did a back flip behind one of the clones, doing hand signs in the air. When he landed, he immediately launched his Fireball Jutsu. The attack connected, erupting the clone in flames, and eventually smoke. He smirked, and faced the other two in a battle stance. They charged at him, speeds just as good as the real Sarota, and attacked. Sasuke ducked to avoid a punch, and stepped back to avoid a kick. He ducked again, and tried a sidekick to no avail. He blocked two punches with his hands, and blocked a third with his free leg, trying to counterattack with a kick, with the same leg. Throwing their punches away, he pulled back, launching a couple of his own. They were blocked, and although he tried, he couldn't avoid a kick to his side that sent him sliding back a foot or two.

He rubbed his side, and pulled out a kunai. He reached into his pouch, and pulled out a paper bomb. Wrapping it around the handle, he jumped over the clones and through it in the middle of them, embedding it into the ground. It sparked, and soon exploded. He landed just outside of the smoke that followed, eyeing Sarota, daring him to attack him.

Unfortunately, he didn't have to…

Out of the smoke, rushed a shadow clone, who punched the unexpecting Uchiha square in the back. Sasuke cried in pain as the clone followed up slashing both his shoulders with a kunai. Sasuke turned around, jumped up and kicked the clone in the chin, sending him into the smoke filled air. He heard the familiar sound of a clone disappearing and faced Sarota, gripping both his shoulders.

Sarota spun a kunai in his hand as he began to walk toward Sasuke. "Look at this…The Last Uchiha about to die at my feet…by my hands." He laughed. "Oh how sweet…" He was about halfway to him, when Sasuke ran toward him, fist ready. He stopped as soon as he started. From the ground, two cylindrical shaped bracelets of rock had come from the ground and latched onto Sasuke's ankles. Two of the same thing had come from the ground and attached to his wrists. He struggled and struggled, but he couldn't move. He looked back at Sarota, whom was removing his hands from a hand sign. He had fallen right in his trap.

"Earth Style," he said slowly, walking toward Sasuke again, "Stone Holding Jutsu. You must have studied it before? Try as you might, you won't break free…" He reached Sasuke, and pinned the kunai to his neck. "The Lat Uchiha…Do you know you're very well known? I'm sure you don't…"

Sarota moved the kunai to Sasuke's cheek, and scratched it. Sasuke sneered. "I've killed lots of ninja, but none as important as you…"

Sasuke snapped. "Then what are you waiting for? Kill me!" In a way, Sasuke felt like dying. He had promised to avenge Naruto…and he failed. If he couldn't save his closest friend, and protect his team then what good was he? He had already let his family down…

Sarota delivered an uppercut to Sasuke's stomach. He hit him so hard; Sasuke bent his head and coughed up blood. "How dare you order me around!" He raised Sasuke's head, and pressed the kunai harder to his throat. "I have your life in my hands!"

-

_Foolish little brother…_

"_What…?"_

_You'll never beat me…_

"_I-Itachi?"_

_You're hate isn't strong enough…_

"_Shut up!"_

_You're not strong enough…_

"_You're wrong! I'm stronger then you!"_

_Mommy isn't here to save you…_

"…"

_Daddy isn't here to be disappointed in you…_

"_Why? Why did you do it?"_

_I wanted…to prove myself…_

"_It was your family! It was our family!"_

_Hate me, brother…_

"_I do. I hate you more then I've ever hated anything in my life."_

_Detest me…_

"_I'm past that. I promised to stay alive to kill you. I won't lose to you ever again! I'll kill you!"_

_Foolish little brother…_

_-_

_Sasuke was floating in a black abyss. Floating… His Sharingan had faded away, no doubt leaving their master to die. He was worried. Where was he? How did he get here?_

_He had foolishly told Sarota to kill him…Had he? Maybe he was dead. _

"_Itachi…" He said, his voice echoing in the nothingness. "Looks like I couldn't keep my promise to kill you."_

_He stared at the empty blackness that surrounded him. Taking in the last thing he couldn't see before he closed his eyes…For the last time. _

"_Naruto… Looks like I couldn't keep my promise to you either…" _

_He changed his mind. He didn't want to die, not yet anyway. Too bad it was too late to change his mind…_

_A bright blue light shined from below him. An orb, as bright and blue as could be, was floating up from the nothingness. It stopped in front of him. He didn't know why, but he wanted to reach out and touch it, so he did…_

_-_

Sarota didn't know what happened. One second, he was yelling at the Uchiha, and the next his head went limp, and he was just starring at the ground. Eyes wide, opened mouthed, just starring… He was about to give up, and kill him, but then, his head, looked back up, and he was starring Sarota head on, his Sharingan as red and creepy looking as ever.

"Ya know what?" he asked spitting at Sarota's feet.

"What?" Sarota replied through clenched teeth. The kid had already pissed him off again.

Slowly, a blue signature surrounded Sasuke. It was outlining him, and it had stretched to about two feet. It was swirling, and wavering and glowing very bright. All the rogue ninja were in awe.

His hair was waving in front of his face, his clothes were blowing everywhere, and the stone bracelets that held him in place began to shake. Through it all, though, Sasuke had not taken his crimson eyes off his opponent.

"I'm not ready to die just yet."

In one swift movement, Sasuke had pulled his right arm free of the bracelet. By now the ground was beginning to shake a little, and Satora, standing so close, was having trouble keeping his balance. Sasuke yanked his other arm free.

The surrounding ninja had moved back, most actually receding to their respective tents. Satora had no idea what was going on. It was impossible. How could a child have such a large chakra mass?

Sasuke stepped away from the last two bracelets, freeing his ankles with ease. He smirked, and, just as fast, delivered a punch to Sarota with such strength it sent him flying twenty feet into a tree. Cursing, he jumped from the hole he had embedded into the trunk. Landing, he patted his stomach and winced. That kid could throw a punch when he felt like it… He looked back to where the Uchiha had been, only to find that the he was not there.

"What?" he said aloud. Then he felt it…that chakra. He looked over his shoulder to find Sasuke readying another punch. There was nothing he could do as he was sent flying across the clearing again. His back was killing him, but he managed to land on his feet. Barely regaining his footing, he saw that Sasuke was already running toward him, forming some hand signs. Before he knew it, Sasuke was above him.

"Fire Style," he yelled, voice echoing. "Phoenix Flower Jutsu!" With an intake of breath, he sent, to Sarota's astonishment and disbelief, _blue _fireballs raining from the sky. Sarota was unable to dodge three of them. They burned like hell, and made him discard his shirt. While he checked to make sure nothing else was burning, Sasuke appeared in front of him, that blue chakra waving franticly. He punched Sarota in the stomach and sent him back another twenty feet. He jumped back himself, and began to do hand signs.

Sarota slowly got to his feet. Every part of him hurt, and he couldn't bare it anymore…What was this kid? He thought about a second, and then remembered something his teacher told him a long time ago.

A chirping sound filled the clearing, as Sasuke formed a Chidori. It was bigger then usual, and it looked a lot more deadly. He eyed Sarota and began to charge…He was going to finish this, now!

Sarota saw it, and began to do his own hand signs. "Shit!" He said. "I can't believe The Last Uchiha can Limit!"

**End of Chapter.**

**A/N:** Hope you enjoyed. Maybe now, some of you are starting to realize why this story is called _Breaking the Limit_.

**Next time…**

Will Sasuke finish this fight for good? Or will it blow up in his face. Naruto and Sakura finally make it to the battle, but are they to late? Kakashi finally makes his reveal. But…what is this "Limit" Sarota spoke of? I think Kakashi knows…


	6. Naruto Won't Stand For This!

**Chapter 6**

**Naruto Won't Stand For This!**

Sasuke showed no sign of slowing down as he charged at Sarota. He didn't know where all this power came from, but he didn't really care. He was strong, a lot stronger then Sarota was, and that's what really mattered.

The Chidori he grasped in his left hand was weighed down with deadly power…Nothing could stop it. Not an earth dome and especially not some stupid stone bracelets. Sarota was going to die.

Sarota wasn't sure if the jutsu he had in mind would be enough to stop that Lightning Blade, but it was the best he had, and it was worth a shot. Finishing his hand signs, kneeled down, and placed both his hands on the ground. Sasuke, reaching his target, pulled his left arm from his side, and put it out in front of him, in a thrust position.

Four steps away.

Sasuke shifted his weight forward, adding even more speed to his attack.

Three steps away.

Sarota focused his chakra to his hands, and Sasuke yelled out, "Chidori!"

Two steps away.

Sarota activated his jutsu…

It connects.

The sound of rock being smashed echoed through the clearing. It was almost unbearable for the rouge ninja to hear. Had their leader survived? One brave soul decided to check.

The sight he saw was astonishing.

He saw the Last Uchiha's left arm through a ten foot tall solid rock wall. Half of his arm was sticking through it, his Lightnig Blade fading away from his hand, the chirping sounds disappeared too. Sarota was kneeled on the other side, staring at the Uchiha's hand, which was about four inches away from his face. He was breathing heavily, but nonetheless untouched. The attack had failed, and the wavering, glowing chakra mass was no more.

Sarota slowly found the strength to stand, using the huge rock wall he had summoned last second for support. He leaned against it, taking a bottle of water from his pouch and draining it in hefty swallows.

Sasuke stood motionless, his arm still stabbed through the stone mass. He couldn't believe it. Sarota had summoned a last defensive right before his attack reached. And worst, it was enough to stop the Chidori right after it broke through. He heard Sarota speak.

"Uchiha…" Sarota said weakly. Obviously that wall had drained him of a lot of strength. "Uchiha, you've lost…You have no more chakra left, I can feel it! So take your arm out of the hole, and take your defeat with honor." Sasuke frowned. It was his best option right now. Sarota was right. He had no more chakra left. In fact, the only thing keeping him standing right now was the rock wall that he had forced his arm through. Slowly, Sasuke pulled his arm out, revealing a blood soaked limb. Immediately, he fell to the ground, gracing it as if it were the softest bed in the world.

Sarota heard him hit the ground, and smiled as he walked around the wall. Standing over Sasuke's body, he pulled out a kunai. Sasuke watched him spin it around his finger with envy. He wished they could be in the opposite positions.

Sarota kept spinning the kunai as he spoke. "That Lightning Blade of yours would've killed me if it wasn't for my trusty rock wall. As a matter of fact, even it wasn't enough to stop your attack."

Sasuke was surprised. "But I didn't even touch you!" he exclaimed. "Of course it worked."

Sarota laughed. "As soon as you touched it with that Lightning Blade, I knew it wasn't going to hold, so I had to force my chakra into it…ya know, to give it a little backbone." He patted the wall behind him with his free hand, then he grasped the kunai, and held it above his head. "Now die, Sasuke Uchiha!"

_Wham!_

A swift kick to the chin was something Sarota had _**not **_been expecting.

He was sent back a foot, and collided with his very own wall. A boy in an orange jumpsuit, with wild, spiky, blond hair landed in between Sarota and Sasuke.

Naruto turned his head to look at Sasuke. "'Sup?" he said.

Sasuke was, to say the least, annoyed. "'Sup?' I just had one of the toughest battles of my life, in which I almost freakin' died, and you come nearly a second before he was about to kill me and say, 'Sup?' God…you loser!"

Naruto frowned and shrugged. "I'm here aren't I?" He turned his head back to Sarota. Sasuke raised an eyebrow.

_There's something different about Naruto…_

He felt a hand on his shoulder, and looked up to find Sakura leaning over him. "Don't worry," she said, lifting him up by his underarms and carrying him over to a nearby tree. "You don't have to fight anymore."

"Sakura…" he started but stopped. "Look, I'm sorry for what I said…"

Sakura smiled. "It's okay, Sasuke, now just leave the rest to Naruto." As oon as these words had left her mouth, a ninja appeared in front of them. Sakura, startled, fell backwards, landing on her butt. The ninja laughed, and threw six shuriken that hit Sakura squarely in the stomach.

_Poof!_

In a puff of smoke, Sakura was log, and the real Sakura was standing behind the rouge ninja. In a flash, she took a kunai and stabbed him right through his back. With a yell of pain, he fell to the ground, dead.

Sakura stood above him, eying him intently. She dropped the bloody kunai, and took a big inhale of breath, let it out, then walked back over to Sasuke. She sat down beside him, and wouldn't look him in the eye.

Sasuke was impressed. Sakura had acted quickly, and killed a threat. He hated to think it, but he couldn't of done it better himself.

-

Naruto was doing his best to stay under control. Seeing Sasuke like that had almost brought out the Fox…Like that day on the bridge… He didn't want to lose himself again, and become victim to his rage. Besides, he couldn't let Sasuke and Sakura see him like that. The only thing that remained unchanged from his regular self, were his eyes. His nails had turned to claws, his teeth to fangs and his hair looked even wilder without his headband…

But his eyes still remained that cerulean blue to which everyone was accustomed.

Sarota rose to his feet, shaking his head. "Orange jumpsuit…? Didn't I kill you with my poison kunai?"

"In your dreams," Naruto replied, his voice a tad raspy from the demonic chakra he was trying to suppress.

Sarota popped his neck and smiled. "No matter, I'll just kill you know!" With great quickness, a hurled a kunai at Naruto, who ducked, avoiding it, and charged forward.

"Your mistake!" he yelled, swiping at Sarota's bare chest. Sarota howled and jumped away landing atop the rock wall, holding his chest. Five claw marks had been made there.

_Damn…_ Sarota thought, looking back down at Naruto. _There's more to this boy then meets the eye… _He looked toward Sakura and Sasuke. _But everyone has a weak point! _In a flash, he was standing in front of the two genin. Sakura made to move, but he struck her across her face, knocking her out cold. Sasuke tried to move, but his body wouldn't let him. Sarota kicked Sasuke in his side, making shout in anger and in pain as he rolled over, also unmoving.

_That should do it, _Sarota thought, turning around to face Naruto.

"Sakura! Sasuke!" That was it…That was the push Naruto needed to make him lose control. A swarm of red chakra outlined him, like the day on the bridge, and began swirling around him. Sarota stared wide eyed. It was just like what happened with Sasuke, except this chakra was red, and had a more demonic, killing presence to it. Before he knew it, Naruto was in front of him. He jumped back, narrowly avoiding the punch Naruto had threw.

Naruto let out a yell of frustration, and punched again, and, again, Sarota dodged it. Now Naruto was getting pissed. He tried a side kick, and as he expected, Sarota jumped back to dodge it. He quickly used the Shadow Clone Jutsu to make one clone, throwing him at the mid-aired Sarota. The clone head butted him in the gut, making him cough up blood. The clone disappeared, and threw the smoke it had created, the real Naruto came through and followed up with a deadly punch to the face. This sent Sarota flying through six trees, finally stopping as he hit the seventh one. He coughed up more blood, and looked above him.

Naruto was standing there. And for the first time, Sarota saw his eyes. They were crimson, slited eyes that gave off a feeling that made him think he was going to die. As he stared at them, he couldn't help but think he was staring in the eyes of a demon…

Naruto concentrated and, using the Fox Chakra, created a red Rasengan with one hand. With a yell, he thrust the Rasengan into Sarota's stomach, making him spin through the tree he was leaning against, and rotating eight more. He landed off in the distance. Naruto couldn't feel his chakra or his sprit.

The red chakra faded, and Naruto was left standing alone in the battle heavy clearing. He walked back to Sakura and Sasuke, gripping his right arm the whole way. It wasn't used to such a high powered Rasengan… He passed plenty more rouge ninja, but none dared attack him, not after what they saw.

Reaching his friends, he fell to the ground beside them, happy to close his eyes…

-

Kakshi landed in the clearing and looked around. He saw holes in the ground, singed trees, kunai and shuriken galore, a huge ass rock wall, and lots of holes through lots of trees… He also saw his students sprawled against a tree. All three looked horrible, but Sasuke, hands down, looked the worst. If there were any rouge ninja there, they were gone now, any traces of them had disappeared. Kakashi walked over to his team, and sighed.

Why did this always have to happen to _his _team. Not Asuma's…Not Gai's… _His!_

He sighed again.

He had a long way back to the village, and three extra loads to do it with…

**End of Chapter.**

**A/N: **I know it was short, but it was something right? Anyway, I wanted to end the mission at this chapter, and that seemed the right time to end it. The next part of the story will be…The Chunin Exams! But that won't start until Chapter 8, the next chap. is just a filler to prepare for the C. exams, but it wont be that long, probably no longer then this one…anyway, peace! (Review!)

**Next Time:**

Team 7 returns from their mission, and Naruto and Sasuke are immediately hospitalized. Meanwhile, Tsunade summons all Jonin to discuss the Chunin Exams that will also be held in Leaf Village again. And who is this mysterious boy they speak of?


	7. More Exams

**Chapter 7**

**More Exams**

Sakura was sitting in a chair next to Naruto's hospital bed. Sasuke lay in the bed next to his. She, herself, had also been hospitalized, but previously awoke about three hours ago. She turned a way the food that had been offered to her, and had also turned away the advice to get some more rest. Being with her team was her top priority right now.

Kakshi was leaning against a wall near the door to the room. He couldn't help fell a surge of pride as he watched Sakura fighting sleep to wait until the rest of her team awoke. Unfortunately, they wouldn't wake up for a while. After inspecting them, the doctors told Kakashi that Naruto and Sasuke had exhausted a large amount of chakra, and would be surprised if they woke in the next week.

He sighed. They didn't need this…Especially with the Exams creeping around the corner. He had not yet told his team about the Chunin Exams. They had failed the first, although Naruto and Sasuke had come considerably close to winning. Honestly, he hadn't expected Sakura to get as far as she had. She just needed a little training.

"Kakshi- sensei…" Kakshi looked up from his book. Saskura's voice had surprised him.

"What is it, Sakura?"

Sakura was still looking down at Naruto. "I was wondering… Who do you think is stronger? Naruto or Sasuke?"

Kakashi stared at the back of her head wide eyed. That was the last thing he had expected. He cleared his throat. "Quite frankly, Sakura, I honestly can't answer that."

Kakashi didn't see it, but Sakura smiled. "Thought as much," she said, still not facing him.

Kakashi leaned off the wall, and took a step forward. Now was a good as time as ever. "Saskura, do you remember the Chunin Exams?"

Sakura frowned. "How could I not?" This was true. The Chunin Exams had been disastrous for her. She had gotten lost in a deadly forest, attacked by Orochimaru, attacked by sound ninja, cut all her long hair, pitted against he rival in a match she didn't even win, worried about Sasuke's disappearance, fretted for Naruto as he fought Neji, track Sasuke down after he left the fighting arena, and got knocked out and captured by Gaara… It was not a good time for her.

"Well, there's another one coming up, and I recommended Team 7 again."

Sakura finally turned to face Kakashi, and she was not pleased. "What? Why? We just got back from one of the toughest missions ever. Sasuke and Naruto are out cold, and I'm not in my best shape, either! We'll never be ready in time!"

Kakashi took his hands away from his ears when she finished. "I'm aware of this," he replied, "but you have to look at my end of the situation." He gestured toward Naruto and Sasuke. "When they wake up, and find out that everyone except them were going to try the Chunin Exams, how do you think they would act?"

Saskura opened her mouth to respond, then closed it. He had a point. "Well when is the Exam?"

"In exactly one month."

Sakura sighed. That wasn't far away at all.

-

The doctors had been correct. In exactly eight days, Naruto and Sasuke awoke. Kakashi gave them three days off to rest and recuperate. After this, Team 7 eagerly awaited the arrival of the Chunin Exams.

They came faster then Naruto thought they would. Then again, he and Shikamaru had gone back in the woods where they fought the ninja to find his headband. It took far to long for Shikamaru's liking.

It was now one day before the Exams were to begin, and Naruto and Shikamaru were walking back into the Village along with hundreds of other genin. Shaikamaru found it odd that the exam was being held in the Leaf Village again, but he didn't think to much about it, after all, it was to troublesome.

Walking through the even more crowded streets of Konoha, Naruto decided to stop at Ichraku's before heading toward the spot he had agreed to meet his team in for a last day of training. Shikamaru was a tad hungry, so he tagged along.

They both ordered Pork Ramen, and ate rather quickly, engaging each other in conversation. Eventually it drifted to the Chunin Exams.

"…yeah, Asuma's making me doing it again."

"Really? I thought you'd be the one to become a chunin out of all of us."

Shikamaru shrugged. "Either I wasn't good enough, or it wasn't meant to be. Either way, it's to troublesome to think about."

Naruto sighed. He really was lazy if he didn't want to think about stuff.

"So," Shikamaru continued, gulping down some more ramen. "You gonna' win this time? You came pretty close last time."

Naruto grinned. "You bet!"

"I hope your skill matches your ego. Neji's been training like crazy, and I heard Lee's hasn't been slacking either now that he's off the crutches."

Naruto waved his hand. "I'm not worried about Lee," he said, "and I already beat Neji once, so that's a piece of cake!"

Shikamaru smiled. "Then of course, there's Sasuke…"

Naruto opened his mouth, but shut it quickly, earning a laugh from Shikamaru.

They finished their meal, exited the shop and went their separate ways.

-

Kakashi glanced up at the clock on the wall of the Village Council room for, what had to be, the hundredth time that afternoon. Him, as well as the other jonin, had been summoned by Tsunade. For what reason, he didn't know.

Finally, after half an hour, Tsunade entered the room, followed be a middle aged man whom Kakashi recognized but couldn't place the name. After him came two cloud ninja, undoubtedly the man's bodyguards.

"Thank you all for your patience," Tsunade said, sitting down at the head of the table they were all seated at. The man sat to her right, and the two ninjas stood behind him. Tsunade cleared her throat and continued. "For those of you who don't know, I would like to introduce the Raikaga of the Hidden Cloud Village, Rykanse."

Rykanse stood, bowed and sat back down.

Tsunade continued. "Rykanse has something he wants to talk about involving the Chunin Exams." Everyone nodded, understanding. "You may speak, Rykanse." 

Rykanse stood gain. "Thank you, Tsunade." He turned to all the Leaf jonin. "There is an important issue I must discuss. There is a boy in my Village, a genin, only thirteen, mind you, who wishes to participate in the Chunin Exams."

-

As Naruto hurried to the chosen spot, he bumped into someone, knocking them to the ground. Naruto stopped in his tracks. "Ah, sorry about that." He extended his hand to the boy he knocked over. The boy wore a green shirt and white pants. He had scruffy, brown hair, and was very tan. Judging by the headband he wore on his shoulder, Naruto guessed he was from the Cloud Village.

-

"I see nothing wrong with that," one jonin spoke up.

Rykanse smiled. "Let me finish. There's something special about Sengi I think you all should know about…"

-

The boy was rubbing his head. "Ouch…" he said, ignoring Naruto's hand and standing up on his own."I should really watch myself."

Naruto said, "No, that was all my fault!"

The boy grinned, then he noticed Naruto's headband. "Ah, you're a ninja."

Naruto grinned this time. "Yep, I'm going to be in the Chunin Exams tomorrow!"

"Really? Me too…"

"Cool. Maybe I'll see you there." He extended his hand again, this time for a handshake.

The boy smiled and shook his hand. When they touched, Naruto felt like a tornado had come over him lifting him off the ground, slinging him everywhere. His stomach did a back flip, and he felt like he was going to collapse. When they let go, everything stopped, and he felt normal again. Looking at the boy's face, he deduced he had the same feeling.

-

"One of the Leaf jonin stood up, knocking his chair over as he did. "One's bad enough! This is absurd, Lord Hokage, I am completely against it!" Other jonin were also shouting their disapproval. Kakashi, however, was keeping quiet. This was something he was not expecting.

As the shouts became louder, Tsunade finally stood up. "Be silent!" She shouted. Everyone did such. She turned to Rykanse. "I will allow this, Sengi boy to participate, but…" She raised a finger. "He has to stay under control. If he doesn't, I won't hesitate to act."

Rykanse smiled. "Thank you, lady Tsunade. You have my word." He bowed to her and the room once again and left, his bodyguards right behind him.

The room was speechless, and Tsunade was left hoping she had made the right decision.

-

The boy was beginning to walk. "Well, I better get going."

Naruto stopped him, "Wait I didn't get your name…"

The boy smiled. "It's Sengi… My name is Sengi!"

**End of Chapter.**

**A/N: **Alright. Happy? Yes, the next chap. will start the Chunin Exams. Look forward to some **ACTION **and some _Romance. _Until next time…

**Next Time:**

The Chunin Exams begin. But is Team 7 ready for the first exam?


	8. Waiting

**A/N: Woo! 10,000 Hits since Chapter 1 was posted! Thanks to all writers, readers, and fans alike.**

**Chapter 8**

**Waiting**

Team Seven stood in front of the Ninja Academy they went to as children. Kakashi told them the first exam was to take place here. Naruto personally didn't like to be here. This place was where he was always made fun of, and was always called a failure. He clenched his fists and adjusted his headband. It was different now… He had become strong. Looking back at his accomplishments in the past Chunin Exams, he often wondered why he wasn't chosen to become a chunin.

He had defeated Kiba and Neji during the fighting stages of the exams, and that was no small task. He had also almost died while trying to protect Sasuke and Sakura from Gaara of the Sand. Not only did he win, he kept the entire village out of danger. He sighed…

"What's the matter, Naruto?" he heard Sasuke ask. "Gettin' a little nervous?"

Naruto puffed up his chest, preparing to counterattack, but a soft hand on his shoulder stopped him. He turned and came face to face with Sakura's eyes. She shook her head as if to say, _Save it for later…_ He nodded.

As they walked through the Academy Gates and across the grounds, Naruto said, "Alright, Team Seven…" Sasuke and Sakura looked at him as they continued their pace. "Let's go all the way this time!" His shout could probably be heard throughout the village, but it nonetheless got all three of them pumped up, as they pushed open the door, and headed inside the building.

There was a sign on the left wall that read, 'EXAMS THIS WAY' with an arrow pointing up the stairs. On the second floor, they found a door that said, 'EXAMS.' Naruto grabbed the handle, and with a deep breath, pulled it open.

Inside, there were just as many genin as last time. They crowded the room, hovering in the corners, and sprawled out among the many couches that had been set out. Some were sleeping, some were whispering to each other, and others were scanning through scrolls to put some last minute jutsu under their belts. Sasuke scanned the room.

_Looks like some steep competition this time around, _he thought. Two people immediately caught his attention. One was definitely that Gaara guy he had fought and lost against last time. He couldn't believe they were letting him back in the exams, but as he thought about it, the only people who knew about the battles he and Naruto had had against him, were Naruto, Sakura, himself, and that dog. So he gave him that one.

The next person he noticed was a ninja from the Sound Village, judging by his headband. He wasn't standing to far away, and he definitely was one of the strongest people in the room, Sasuke could tell. He wore a sort of sleeveless overcoat. It was black, as was his shirt. His pants were purple, but with grey leg protectors. His black hair was pulled into a ponytail, and his headband was being worn like a doo-rag. He was leaning against the wall to the right of them, eyes closed, chewing on a toothpick. Sasuke didn't like the vibe he was getting from this guy…

"Yoo-hoo! Sasuke!"

The sound ninja's eyes shot open, and he raised his head, letting his gaze meet Sasuke. After a couple of seconds, the ninja smirked, and closed his eyes again. Sasuke frowned. Nope, he didn't like the vibes at all.

"Sasuke, oh Sasuke!" He turned in time to see Ino bring him to the ground with a bone crushing hug.

Naruto laughed, and Sakura giggled, herself. "Yo, what's up, Naruto?"

Naruto looked back at his addresser. "Ah, Shikamaru! Nothin'… We just got here…"

Shikamaru stopped as he reached them, Chouji right behind him. "I see, we've been here about, ten minutes." He gestured around the room. "Quite the turn out, isn't it?"

Naruto nodded. "Yep." A ninja walked between him and Shikamaru, he noticed he wore a Sound headband. "What are Sound Ninja doing here?" he exclaimed. After the combined efforts of the Sound and Sand villages, the still couldn't bring the Leaf Village to its knees. The sand had apologized for their actions, but the Sound had done nothing to redeem themselves. Naruto didn't think it was right.

"Well," Shikamaru began, "from my understanding, the Chunin Exams is something that a village cannot deny the other villages. For example, let's say the Leaf Village killed the Kazekage, and the Sand Village was to hold the Chunin Exams a week later, they couldn't deny us, the Leaf Village, who had just assassinated the Kazekage, entry. It's kind of a rule. The same applies to the situation with the Sound Village."

"I get it," Sakura said.

"Me, too," Naruto put in.

Shikamaru nodded. "Good, cause I wasn't gonna repeat myself."

Sasuke, whom was back on his feet, asked, "So, when's the First Exam gonna start?" Shikamaru shrugged.

"Nobody knows, we've been asking around." They all looked to see Kiba heading his team toward them. "It seems like it's gonna be random…" He looked at Naruto. "Naruto, I just wanna let you know, I intend to beat you this time around."

Naruto only smirked. "I'd like to see you try, Kiba."

"So the gangs all here." Naruto immediately recognized the voice, and saw Neji appear out of nowhere. "Naruto, it's good to see you again."

"Likewise," Naruto said, turning away from Kiba.

Rock Lee and Tenten appeared beside Neji.

"Lee!" Sakura said, happily. "It's good to see you on your feet!"

Lee smiled. "Thank you, Sakura. Lady Tsunade is truly an expert in the medical field. And now I am ready to fight!" He turned his attention to Sasuke. "Sasuke Uchiha, I witnessed your match against Gaara in the Third Exam. Perhaps now you will prove a challenge."

Sasuke smirked. "If you saw that match, you know I can use Chidori. Yet you still want to fight me?"

Lee smiled. "I did not forgot about that dangerous jutsu. In fact, I have been able to devise a strategy for it."

Sasuke stood straight. "We'll see about that."

"That reminds me, Naruto," Neji said. "You won't be getting another victory over me. Of this, I can assure you."

Naruto was about to respond, but suddenly, the door at the head of the room burst open, and a woman walked in. This woman, was none other then Shizune.

"Hello," she said softly. Everyone went quiet as she entered, so her voice echoed throughout the room. "I'm going to be your first Exam Procter. If you'll all please come inside."

-

The room in which they entered was a big circular one. It had escalated seats so everyone could sit down. The many Leaf ninja gave one member of each squad a piece of paper as they entered the room, and told them not to look at it until directed. They were then led to seats to sit down at.

When Team 7 entered, a chunin whom Naruto didn't know gave him a piece of paper, told him not to look at it, and led him, Sakura and Sasuke to the middle of the fourth row of seats. Soon all the seats began to fill, and the room became louder as more genin took their spots and waited for the exam to begin. Three grass ninja were seated on Team 7's left, and oddly, Team 10 of the Leaf Village, Ino-Shika-Cho, took their seats on the right.

"Shikamaru," Naruto said when Team 10 sat down. "What luck, huh?"

Shikamaru shrugged. "I guess… I just want this exam to hurry up and get over with."

Soon, all the genin were seated, and Shizune spoke.

"When you entered the room, you were given a sheet of paper. This paper has a number on it. Now, there are exactly 150 teams participating in this exam, and that number represents what team you are. It also represents the order in which you all will go in this exam. For example, if your piece of paper has the number one on it, your squad is team one, and therefore, will go first. Then so on and so on until all the teams have gone. Which ever teams are left at the end of the exam, will move on to the second exam. Is everyone clear?"

There was a murmur of agreement throughout the room. Shizune smiled.

"Good. Now I shall explain the actual exam. I'm sure you've all noticed there are three other doors in this room." Here, she gestured as she talked. "One to the left, one to the right, and one behind me." In truth, Naruto hadn't really noticed them. He also hadn't noticed there were three other chunin in the room. Each standing in front of each door. Each holding a clipboard. Shizune continued.

"Now, three teams will come up at a time, and each will be directed to a separate room. From there the chunin at the door will tell you all what to do. Also, before I tell the first teams to come up, I want you all to know that, while inside the room, you can take as much time as you want. Once inside the room, the chunin may decide if you pass or fail. Remember, this exam is all about self-control. With that, I would like you all to unfold your papers, and see the numbers. I would then like for the teams with the numbers one, two, and three to come up."

The sound of shuffling papers filled the room instantly. Naruto slowly unfolded the piece of paper that was given to him, and found the number 64 on it. Naruto sighed in relief. At least they weren't first. Three teams slowly stood, and descended the stairs to Shizune.

Shizune was only talking to them now, so Naruto couldn't hear what she was saying, but soon the three teams departed ways, each heading for a separate door. The three chunins opened the doors for them and followed them inside, slaming the doors behind them.

The room went deadly quiet. Everyone was waiting eagerly for the teams to come out. Slowly the minutes dragged by, and Naruto was becoming impatient. He turned to Shikamaru.

"Hey, Shikamaru, what number did you guys get?"

Shikamaru held up his paper. "31," He said, sighing. "I was hoping we'd get number one so I could hurry up and get out of here but…"

Just then, the door behind Shizune opened and the team came out, followed by the chunin. The chunin walked up, said something to Shizune, then announced rather loudly, "Team 2. Fail!"

Shizune took this opportunity to speak again. "If you fail, please no arguing, and immediately leave this building. Thank you. Can I have Team 4 please?"

The team that had failed dragged their feet out of the room as a team on the far right of the third row got up and walked down. Shizune said something to them, then they went in the room followed by the chunin.

Shikamaru groaned. "This is gonna take forever…"

The door on the right side flung open, the three genin coming out. The chunin stepped out right behind them. "Team 3. Fail!"

"Team 5 please come down." Shizune said.

The three genin left as three more took their place, walking into the room. Two minutes later, the door on the left creeped open. The chunin stepped out, the three genin at his heels. "Team 1. Pass!"

Shizune smiled and nodded. She addressed the entire room. "Now if you pass, I would like you to wait in the room you were just in before you came in here." The team nodded, gave each other high-fives and proceeded into the previous room. "Team 6." A group of tough looking stone ninja leaped the stairs, and went into the room

Naruto was beginning to realize this was a cycle. The teams would enter the room, come out victorious or defeated, then a new team would enter. This left Naruto thinking if each room had a different exam, or was the exam different for every team… He wasn't sure. Soon, Team 25 was called. Naruto looked and found the boy he had bumped into the other day. What was his name…? Sengi? Yeah that was it.

Sengi was leading his team down the steps. Behind him was a rather muscular guy, and a girl with a purple ponytail. They entered the left door. Naruto sat intently, waiting to see if his new friend would make it through. After about five minutes, they exited the room with the chunin. The chunin cleared his throat. "Team 25. Pass!"

Naruto sat back and sighed in relief. Sakura noticed this.

"Naruto… Do you know one of them?"

Naruto looked at her. "Kinda… The boy in the middle… See 'em? With the brown hair… I met him yesterday… And, well… I can't explain it. I felt like we had a connection…"

Sakura took this in, and was about to say something, but Sasuke spoke first.

"Wow… Can you say that again, but make it a little less gay…?" He said staring Naruto down.

Naruto clenched his fists. "Shut up!"

-

He seemed like Team 64 would never get to go. Shizune had just called out Team 40, and they had been there for about an hour. It was getting ridiculous. Even Sasuke, whom was usually stone faced, couldn't even hide his annoyance. There were some highlights though. Kiba's and Shikamaru's teams both passed. Naruto was happy for them, but he wasn't about to let his team be the only one of the Rookie 9 that didn't make it.

Team 41 was called, and Naruto found that it was Gaara of the Sand walking down the steps. As he passed Naruto's row, his eyes briefly made contact with Naruto's. Naruto couldn't explain it, but he felt that Gaara had changed somehow. He smiled.

-

Naruto was glad Gaara's team passed, and now Shizune was at 52. The second Sasuke heard the footsteps of that team, his heart skipped a beat. He looked behind him and saw the Sound ninja from before. Sasuke could practically see the evil presence radiating from him. It was almost… unreal…

His team went into their room, and came out a minute later, the chunin declaring that they had passed. Everyone who was left in the room was flabbergasted. That by far was the fastest time yet. Sasuke himself was surprised. He even beat Gaara's time…

-

At last.

"Team 64, can you please come down?"

Naruto practically skipped down the steps. He was happy they were finally getting to go. After an hour and a half of waiting, it was finally their turn! Shizune smiled when they reached her.

"Through that one." She said, pointing to the door behind her. Naruto, Sasuke and Sakura nodded and proceeded. But as they passed Shizune, Naruto could swear he heard her say, "…don't give in…" It was soft, barely above a whisper, but Naruto was sure he heard it…

They followed the chunin through the door, and into the empty classroom on the other side. He closed the door, and faced the genin.

"Listen closely," he said. "This exam is all about self control." He snapped his fingers and a scroll appeared on the teacher's desk. He took a brush with black ink on it, and through over to the desk. It landed beside the scroll. "All you have to do to pass this exam, is you each must sign your name on that scroll. Each of you."

Naruto, Sakura and Sasuke looked at each other. A question of confusion on each of their faces. Was this it? How could all those other teams fail?

"On three, this exam will begin. Are you ready?"

The genin nodded.

"Okay… One… Two… Three!"

-

In a puff of smoke the chunin was gone. Naruto didn't think much about it, though, because he was already at the scroll. He unrolled the parchment. And lowered the brush down to it, but suddenly…

-

Sakura looked back as the chunin disappeared. It struck her as odd. Why would he leave? She ran toward the scroll, seeing Naruto and Sasuke already there. She smiled. She was almost to them when suddenly…

-

Sasuke was staring at the scroll, brush in hand. Ink dripped from the brush, slowly, making very small droplets on the parchment. Sasuke had not yet marked his name because something was already on the parchment. Two words. Two words that said, **Look up. **When he did, he couldn't believe what he saw…

-

_Wham!_ Naruto was sent flying across the room, crashing into the wall. Dazzed, he slowly regained his composure. Standing up, he saw… himself. But it wasn't himself. It was an older version of him. He looked about thirty, and was wearing the… Naruto's jaw dropped. He was wearing Hokage robes. He slowly walked toward himself.

"Oh my… Dude, how did you-"

He didn't get to finish. The older Naruto charged forward and punched him in the face. Naruto was sent rolling across the room, but managed to stay on his feet.

"What the hell, man?!"

Older Naruto just stared at him. "You come into my village, destroy my home, and terrorize my citizens." Older Naruto looked like he could kill. "Now prepare to die!"

Naruto was taken aback. "I would never hurt this village!" It didn't look like old Naruto heard. Young Naruto sighed. "Fine." He pulled out a kunai. "If it's a fight you want, it's a fight you'll get!"

-

Sakura screamed. A part of the ceiling opened up, and out of it came a hundred or so of them embedding into Naruto and Sasuke. They both screamed in pain, and fell to the floor, unmoving. Sakura screamed again as she ran toward them.

She collapsed on top of Naruto. "Naruto!" she screamed. No response. His eyes were wide open, staring at the ceiling. Kunai were everywhere. She was getting blood on her clothes, but she didn't care. "Naruto!" she screamed again. "Naruto, Sasuke don't die on me! Naruto!"

-

When Sasuke looked up, he immediately jumped back a couple feet. He pulled out a kunai in each hand. He activated his Sharingan, and stared intently at the man sitting in the chair of the desk. He'd been waiting for this.

The man began to laugh. Sasuke frowned. "Shut up!" he yelled.

"Foolish little brother…"

**End of Chapter.**

**A/N: My New Years Resolution? Try to UPDATE FASTER.**

**P.S. Im going to start giving Chapter names, starting with chapter 9. Yes, I know, a bit late, but better late then never. So instead of doing the "Next Time" thing, im going to give the name of the next chapter instead. So, you'll still have a sense of what's going on. Alright, for real this time. Later.**

**Chapter 9.**

**The Miniscule Beast.**


	9. The Miniscule Beast

**Chapter 9**

**The Miniscule Beast**

_Clash! Clash! Shing! Clash!_

The sound of steel on steel was easily heard throughout the room as Naruto battled against… himself… He had to admit, he was strong. After clashing his kunai with his once again, he jumped back, panting. His older self was still calm.

Wiping the sweat from his brow, he couldn't help but notice that Sasuke and Sakura were nowhere to be found. He found this odd. They entered the room with him. After all, they were taking the Chunin Exams. His eyes widened, and he quickly glanced toward the scroll he had to sign. He had momentarily forgotten about the real task at hand, the one that mattered. Glancing at himself, he quickly tried to dash toward the scroll, but just as quickly, Old Naruto was in front of him, blocking his path. Naruto gasped and jumped back, putting distance between him and himself.

Although he was kind of pissed, he couldn't help but ogle at himself.

_Damn, I'm fast! My hair is awesome! Oh my God, that Hokage robe was made for me! _He shook his head. _What am I doin'? I gotta focus! _He looked again to the scroll laying on the desk. It was almost calling to him to come and sign it. He looked back towards himself and sighed. _Great, I gotta get around me, but I'm too tough… Urgh, why did I have to train so hard!? _He scratched his head, slowly smiling as he though of an idea.

-

"Naruto! Sasuke!"

Sakura couldn't help but cry. Her two best friends had died right before her eyes, and she didn't do a damn thing about it. Collapsed on Naruto's chest, she sobbed for a second. The peered up at his face.

"Oh, Naruto…" she said softly, stroking his cheek, gazing into his pale, open eyes. In the Academy, this very building, she had been taught that losing teammates or friends was a natural part of being a ninja, but never had she thought it would hurt this much…

It almost made her want to kill herself…

Slowly, she stood up, and, silently, pulled a kunai from her holster. She held it out arms length in front of her. Heart beating slowly, she smiled.

_Thu- dump. Thu-dump._ _Thu-dump…_

Throwing the kunai, downward, it embedded into the ground. Then, sprinted to the desk where the scroll was. Grabbing the brush, she scribbled her name, and it felt as if a gust of air swept over her. She turned around, gazing at the classroom. Naruto and Sasuke were standing not five feet away from her, each staring blankly at the floor. She heard movement, and the chunin stepped away from the wall in the back of the class. Putting aside the blanket he had used to blend in with the wall.

"How did you do it?" he asked slowly. "Your sensei told me that you never wanted to see those two boys die." He gestured toward her teammates.

She smiled. "I don't, Kakashi- sensei was right… But I guess he didn't tell you that I can spot a genjutsu as soon as I'm in it."

The chunin seemed almost annoyed. "He failed to mention that…"

-

Sasuke couldn't move. There he was, his Sharingan locked with a pair much like his own. He couldn't believe his eyes. It seemed almost impossible his brother would be in a place like this.

Itachi Uchiha was leaned back in the chair at the teacher's desk, his unblinking Sharingan staring at his little brother.

"Sasuke…" he said slowly. Sasuke clenched his teeth. "Are you ready…?"

Sasuke held his kunai in front of him, his eyes not leaving Itachi. "I've been ready." Itachi laughed. "Shut up!" Sasuke spat. "This is it for you. I'm killing you today!"

Itachi pointed. "But what about them…?"

Sasuke slowly looked behind him. There, sitting beside one another on the second row of the escalated seats, were Naruto, Sakura and Kakashi. They weren't looking at him, in fact, they all seemed rather depressed. Sakura was staring blankly at a wall, Kakashi had his book open but wasn't reading it, and Naruto was staring at the floor, blanked face. He seemed to be muttering something, but Sasuke couldn't hear it.

He looked back at his brother. "What about them?" he asked.

"You still care for them…"

"No I don't! I…" he hesitated. "I gave up on them!" He swallowed. Was Itachi buying it?

"Really…?" His voice stabbed Sasuke. Slowly, he pulled a kunai from nowhere. He held it for a second, then threw it. It went right by Sasuke, on course for the unaware Naruto. Acting quickly, Sasuke threw his own kunai, intercepting his brother's, and making both tools clash to the floor.

Sasuke sighed. That was close. He winced, when Itachi began to laugh. He clenched his teeth. _Damn…_

Slowly, slower then Sasuke wanted, the laughing began to stop, and Itachi closed his eyes. "So? You gave up on them?" Sasuke swallowed again. "Then, you must have gotten stronger… Tell me, little brother..." Itachi's eyes sprang open, reavealing the Sharingan, "… how far have you come!?"

Itachi sprang forward.

-

Naruto reached into his pouch, and brought three smoke balls out. Grinning, he threw them to the ground. Purple smoke went everywhere, engulfing the middle of the classroom. Old Naruto immediately threw his sleeve over his mouth, eyes darting all around him, trying to find his opponent. Young Naruto suddenly appeared in front of him, drawing his fist back for a punch. Moving quickly, Old Naruto grabbed the other Naruto's collar, and threw him to the right, into the smoke. He heard a loud 'poof' and took a step back. He round housed another Naruto that was trying to sneak up to his left, and heard another 'poof.' He paused for ten seconds, staying on the defensive in case of more shadow clones, but none came.

Then he heard an all too familiar sound…

Looking above him, he saw the purple smoke being blown away by what a Naruto was lunging at him with. The blue chakra waves of the Rasengan were like small tornadoes, unraveling off the blue sphere, taking in the smoke then blowing it away into nothingness.

The Old Naruto merely stood there, staring as the orange clad ninja came at him with one of the most powerful jutsus ever created.

Young Naruto was inches away… Old Naruto seemed not to care. Last second, ducking swiftly, he avoided the Rasengan, and stepped to the side. Grabbing Young Naruto's wrist, he spun him around, flinging him into the wall behind him. He heard him hit it, and just as he expected, he heard another 'poof.' He turned around and faced the wall he had just thrown Young Naruto at, and, just as he had expected, saw the real Naruto slamming the paintbrush on the desk, grinning.

He looked up at his former self, still wearing his famous grin. "I win." He said simply, but proundly.

For the second time, Old Naruto spoke, but it wasn't harsh sounding like before. His voice sounded older, more matured. It was gentle, but at the same time firm. You could tell he was in charge. "Yes. You did." He grinned. They both stood there for a second, grinning at each other, then, as if a gust of wind had slammed through Naruto's system, everything faded away.

-

"Naruto!"

Sakura's voice…

"Naruto!"

Naruto opened his eyes, and found himself staring at a ceiling. He sat up, and came face to face with Sakura… literally. Their faces were at the most, two inches apart. Naruto couldn't help but stare into her beautiful eyes, and, he wasn't exactly sure, but he was almost positive she was staring into his. They stayed like that for about ten seconds until Sakura, who must've realized what she was doing, blushed bright red, and stood off her knees. Coughing awkwardly, she offered him a hand, and he, also blushing, accepted it, letting her pull him to his feet.

They stood awkwardly for a second, neither of them knowing what to say. Luckily, the chunin came to their rescue.

"Uzamaki Naruto, it seems you have overcome temptation." Naruto's face contorted into confusion, and the chunin smiled. "Do not worry. All will be made clear shortly." He gestured toward Sasuke, whom was lying on the floor. "That is, if Uchiha can also resist temptation, and signs the scroll in his Genjutsu…"

Naruto bumped his fist together and stated rather loudly. "Yes! As I thought… a Genjutsu!" He made a mental note to ask Kakashi what a Genjutsu was.

Sakura crossed her arms, and rolled her eyes. _Please… As if you actually know what a Genjutsu is, anyway._ Her thoughts suddenly drifted, almost hurriedly, to the incident that had happened moments ago. Naruto's face had been so close to hers… To be more specific, his lips had been so close to hers… She shook her head. _No way! _She thought immediately. _No way! No way! Naruto's so…_

_**Hot!**_

She swatted her inner self away. _No definitely not that… but…maybe…_ She shook her head again. She didn't want to think about all that! _At least not now, anyway… _What was she thinking? She didn't want to think about that at all… did she…? She shook her head again, clearing the thoughts for sure this time. Which was okay, she guessed. Wait, why did she have to guess?

"Sakura!?" Someone had grabbed her shoulder, bringing her out of her thoughts.

Naruto.

"You've been off in your own little world for a while. You okay?"

"I'm fine," she said, flashing him a smile. He still had his hand on her shoulder, and she prayed he wouldn't take it off. Sure enough though, after he nodded, he removed his hand. Sakura frowned. She couldn't help but question where these feelings had suddenly came from. But right now, they were in the middle of the First Chunin Exam. She couldn't think about that now, so she decided to save it for later.

She took a deep breath, and eagerly waited for Sasuke.

-

"Ughh!"

Itachi's massive kick sent Sasuke flying into the seats. He landed with a grunt. Wedged between two of the rows, he looked back at his brother, who was standing calmly, with his eyes closed. He noticed Naruto two seats away. Sasuke was finally close enough to hear his murmuring.

"…Sasuke…How could you…?" Sasuke knew he should be getting up to kick his brother's ass, but he wanted to hear more, so he stayed in his uncomfortable position. Naruto was looking down at his desk, his face full of sorrow. "…How could you? How could you betray us…?" Sasuke's eyes widened. Now he definitely wanted to hear more.

"… You left the village… You betrayed your home… You betrayed your friends…"

Sasuke was speechless. _What? Naruto, how could you think that?_ He glanced at Sakura, who was also uttering something that he could barely hear.

"Please… Please, just come home, Sasuke… If Naruto couldn't stop you, then…" Silent tears fell from her face. "…then I don't know what I can do…" He stared at her. _Sakura…_

He finally rose from his position. He then jumped over to where Kakashi was on the rows of seats and listened to him.

"Oh, Sasuke… I thought I told you to forget about revenge… I thought I'd be able to help you…but…"

Suddenly, Naruto rose from his seat and yelled out, "I couldn't do a thing! Not a DAMN thing!"

Sasuke stared at the ground. Was this really what would've happened if he had taken that offer? His comrades pleading for his return? He didn't think they cared about him this much…

He did a back flip, landing at the very top of the stands. He stared at his brother, Sharingan gleaming in the light of the room.

Itachi finally opened his eyes.

"My brother," Sasuke said. "There is nothing I want more in this world then to kill you!" He glanced at his three teammates, the people he cared about the most. "And I accept that I'm not strong enough…yet. It's true that I want more power, yes… But I'll get it through my own time and effort. Not go chasing after it when some maniac offers it. I wouldn't betray my comrades like that… not like you… I don't know when I'll be strong enough to face you… But rest assured, when that time comes, you will die. Until then…" He paused, choosing his words carefully.

"Until then, think of me as… a fly. Yes, a fly. A creature that's so annoying you can't even stand it. I'll always be buzzing around you, a pest, but a pest that will someday kill you. And you won't even be expecting it… You'll always be swatting at me, wishing I would go away, and leave you alone, but I'll always be there. The one that will defeat you, the one that will avenge his family… A beast…"

He paused. His analogy was beginning to sound stupid but it was the best he could come up with on short notice. "A beast you'll barely know that's there…. A miniscule beast!"

He stopped. That was good enough. His brother stared at him a moment, then began to laugh. The laughing continued, echoing throughout the room, until he began to fade away. Then…he and his laughing was gone.

Sasuke sighed, and took a deep breath. He remembered the scroll that was still resting on the corner of the teachers desk, and began to descend the stairs. As he passed the rows that his teammates were on, they too faded away, respectively. When he reached the scroll, he stared at it for a long moment. Then, finally, picked up the brush and signed his name at the very top, and added a little something extra…

-

_Sakura Haruno_

_Naruto __Uzamaki_

_**Sasuke Uchiha**_

_**Team 7**_

-

Sasuke opened his eyes slowly. His head hurt, and he felt almost sick. Slowly sitting up, he heard a voice he immediately recognized.

"Sasuke! You're awake!"

Naruto bounded over to him, grinning. Sasuke couldn't help but smile back. Naruto extended his hand. Sasuke stared at it a long while.

"_Forget about revenge… Accept that you can't do everything on your own…"_

That was what Kakashi had said. Wait, was it? It didn't matter. After this event, he finally had accepted, and mentally marked it by grabbing Naruto's hand and pulling himself up.

Sasuke glanced at Sakura then at the Chunin. It was no doubt the chunin that had disappeared when this all started. Sakura went and stood on the other side of Naruto, eyeing the chunin.

The chunin smiled, walked over to the scroll and with one hand sign, made the writing on it disappear.

Naruto gasped. "You bastard! That's our hard work you sent away!"

"Relax," the chunin said, still smiling. He tucked the scroll under his shoulder, and motioned for them to follow as he walked away. They did. He opened the door leading out to the main room where Shizune was, and they exited.

The room became silent when they entered. The chunin stepped forward, and cleared his throat.

"Team 64…"

Everyone waited; even Shizune seemed to be holding her breath.

"…Pass!"

Naruto was grinning triumphantly, and Sasuke rolled his eyes. Did he really not see how stupid he looked?

Shizune gestured for them to head into the room they waited in for the exam to start, which they did. Frankly, Naruto decided, he was tired.

-

They entered the room and found most of the genin keeping to themselves. Only the rest of the Rookie 9 and Team Gai seemed to be engaged in conversation.

"Ah, hello, Naruto, Sasuke and Sakura!" Rock Lee called from the group.

"Yo," Naruto called back, and sprinted forward. Unfortunately, he tripped, and sent himself flying in the air. "Ah!" he yelled. Just before his back hit the hardwood floor, however, a soft _sand _arc cam to his rescue, catching him. He lied on a moment before sighing. "Phew…"

He felt eyes on him, and looked to his right and found Gaara of the Sand looking back at him… but with not as cold as eyes as he remembered. The sand shifted, tilting upward, letting slide off onto his feet. He raised his hand, "Thanks, Gaara!" Gaara simply nodded as the sand came crawling back to him, gathering itself in his guard.

As team 7 walked toward the rest of the group, Naruto couldn't help but note what a nice thing Gaara had just done. But he had to question it. _Nice…?_

"What's up," Naruto said when they finally reached Lee and the others.

Kiba was the one who responded. "Shikamaru's tryin to figure out the exam," he said, shrugging.

Sakura looked at Shikamaru. "You are?"

Shikamaru nodded. "That's right, and now I need only one more thing to prove my theory." He looked at Naruto. "Tell me, Naruto, what did you see in the classroom?" Even Sasuke perked up. He wanted to hear this.

Naruto was grinning bashfully. "I saw an older version of myself… as Hokage!" He yelled out the last part rather loudly.

Shikamaru nodded again. "As I thought…" Here, he addressed the group. "The exam was one of Temptation. There was a Genjutsu placed on the room, but not an ordinary one. This Genjutsu was designed to show anyone who was in it the thing they want the most. And I'm guessing, if you gave in to temptation and accepted what you saw, you would've failed..." Sasuke gulped. And to think he had been so close to doing so…

"Anyway, it showed you what you wanted most… but with a twist. Tell me, Naruto, I'm sure you didn't just ogle at yourself being the Hokage, did you?"

"Not exactly, I had to fight him, I mean me, I mean myself…"

"Again, as I thought." He sat back in his chair, folding his arms behind his head. He yawned. "Anyway, it's too troublesome to think about any more. I'd rather just go home.."

At that moment, Ino smacked him on his head. "Lazy idiot!"

Everyone laughed.

**End of Chapter.**

**Chapter 10**

**The True Nature of Demons.**


	10. The True Nature of Demons

**A/N: Short chapter from a new perspective.**

**Chapter 10**

**The True Nature of Demons.**

Far away from the Leaf Village, and deep underground, a young man was walking a long corridor. He was something he did everyday, and if you looked at it, didn't seem so unordinary. But for this man, it was. He walked this corridor everyday and he was sick of it. It absolutely disgusted him. He walked it because he forced himself to. As long as he walked this long, dark, damp corridor, he was safe. He was just as immortal as his master… that is, if he didn't say the wrong thing.

As long as he served his master, and did everything he was told to do, he couldn't die. He finally reached the end. A purple and black door stood in front of him, an emblem of a white snake in the very middle. The man sighed. _Another day…_he thought as he entered the room, putting on a smile.

It was pitch black in the room. He couldn't see anything.

"Kabuto…" he heard his master hiss. "Is that you?"

Kabuto bowed in a random direction. "Yes."

"Good…" Kabuto heard a wave of chakra throughout the room, and fifty candles suddenly illuminated. Kabuto looked up to find he had bowed in the right direction. "Impressive, isn't it? I'm just giving this new body of mine some warm ups… Overall, it's not bad…"

Kabuto observed his master. He looked like he used to before the newest switch, his snake like features gleaming in the candle light. Kabuto shivered. He could never get used to that. "Yes," he replied. "To bad it wasn't Sasuke though…"

Orochimaru hissed angrily. "Don't remind me, Kabuto…" He stretched his arms out, no doubt enjoying the fact he could do so again. "It doesn't matter though. I have a full proof plan that will get Sasuke to come to me. I just can't put it into effect yet."

Kabuto was surprised. Usually Orochimaru had no problem putting his plans into perfect form and filling them out without fail. Well, if you don't count that one mission when they teamed up with the Sand Village to take down Konoha… No, don't count that…

"Why not, Lord Orochimaru?"

Orochimaru smiled. "That's right, Kabuto, I forgot to tell you about the deal I made with the Cloud Village." Kabuto's eyes widened beneath his glasses. "They asked me to help them with something involving the Leaf Village and the Chunin Exams. After hearing their proposal I eagerly accepted."

"Are they trying to do the same thing we did? At the exact same time? In the exact same event?" _How foolish…_

Orochimaru laughed. "No one is that stupid, Kabuto. No, they want to do something that's not so extream. Like eliminate a certain person in the Leaf Village. A person that I, myself, wouldn't mind getting rid of." He laughed again. "This person's death could also benefit me in the long run of getting Sasuke to come to me."

Kabuto was intrigued. "Really?"

Orochimaru eyed him. "Why all the questions, Kabuto? Are you worried that the combined efforts of the Sound and Cloud Villages can't kill a single person?"

Kabuto shook his head. "Of course not." He was falling into the danger zone. A couple more slip ups and Orochimaru wouldn't be tolerate much longer… He decided to bring up a legitimate question. "So," he asked, leaning against a nearby wall. "Who are we supposed to be taking out for the Cloud Village?"

"You've got it all wrong, Kabuto. _We_ are helping _them _kill a person. We won't be doing any fighting, unfortunately. We'll only be back up."

"So they have some grand scheme?"

"Precisely. It involves their Jinchuuriki." He let his tongue hang out of his mouth.

Kabuto pondered the facts he had just heard. _So the Cloud Village has come to us, asking to be their backup in some grand scheme they have to kill one person in the Leaf Village during the Chunin Exams...? And this plan involves their Jinchuuriki in some way…_He smiled. _Interesting…to say the least…_

Orochimaru spoke again. "Sasuke will come… He will… He doesn't know it yet, but he will. He can't fight it forever."

Kabuto nodded. "Yes. Of course."

Orochimaru walked over to a set of candles, and stared at them intently. "I will become like this flame, Kabuto… Everlasting, as long as there is something to burn." He let his tongue hang out of his mouth again, swaying from side to side. "In this case…" his next word ended in a long hiss. "…it's dear Sasuke…"

Kabuto jumped. There was a sudden rapping at the door.

"Enter." Orochimaru said.

The door opened, and through it came a Sound ninja chunin. Kabuta observed him. He was so generic. Just like every other ninja in this village.

The Sound nin immediately went on one knee. "Lord Orochimaru," he said. "It seems your newest pupil has passed the First Chunin Exam. The one you told to challenge Sasuke. He and his squad are moving on." He finished taking a deep breath. You could tell he was nervous.

Orochimaru smiled. It was a smile Kabuto knew all to well. "How useless…" Orochimaru said, taking a step toward the ninja. "As if I didn't know he was going to pass. In fact, there was not a doubt in my mind." His smile widened. "You dare come in here and tell me useless information!?"

Kabuta could sense the ninja's fear. "Well…" he choked out. His voice was so small. "I…I thought…"

Orochimaru began to laugh, and soon, laughed harder, and harder. Kabuto could see the ninja's sweat fall from his face to the floor. He smiled, and took a step back.

With one final chuckle, Orochimaru's sword flung from his mouth into the neck of the ninja. Blood went everywhere, and the room fell silent. Slowly, Orochimaru pulled his sword out, and swallowed it whole again. He turned around.

"You are dismissed, Kabuto… When you leave, send a team up to dispose of this mess."

Kabuto couldn't help but chuckle. "Did you that because his information was useless?"

Orochimaru didn't face him. "No, actually… I found his information to be quite useful."

Kabuto stared at his back. "Then…why?"

Orochimaru turned around. Kabuto flinched. Orochimaru glare held the intent to kill. "Isn't obvious? Because I haven't killed in such a long time…"

Kabuto opened the door, and stepped outside. "Ya, know," he said. "You truly are the most evil person I know."

Orochimaru seemed to take this as a compliment. "Kabuto…" he said slowly. "Have you not realized? That is the true nature of all demons!"

Kabuto merely nodded, and closed the door.

Here he was again. Walking this dreaded corridor… But at the moment, ironically, he didn't really mind that much…

**End of Chapter.**

**Chapter 11.**

**Exam Troubles.**


	11. Exam Troubles

**Chapter 11.**

**Exam Troubles.**

Waiting for the rest of the genin to finish was quite boring. Naruto decided this as he sat on one of the couches. He was tired, and his eyes kept drooping. They closed, flickered back open, then closed again. This time for good.

_Wham! _A smack to the face was all he needed to open his eyes. He glared at Sasuke but didn't say anything. He had actually asked Sasuke to hit him if he started to fall asleep. Without hesitating, Sasuke had accepted.

Naruto shifted to lean on the arm of the chair. How boring. Everyone else was either talking, or playing cards with a deck Shikamaru had brought. Sakura was sitting with them. She was talking, laughing, and having a good time in general. He was glad.

When Shikamaru had whipped the cards out, Sakura had immediately stood up. Naruto wasn't a big card player, but had considered it if Sakura was going over there. Looking over at Sasuke, whose face had not shown a remote interest in going, he decided not to go either.

After taking a step forward, Sakura had glanced back. "You coming?" she had asked.

Naruto had considered it again. "Naw," he replied. "I'm a little tired. Fighting yourself can take a lot out of a person…" Her jade eyes hadn't left him. It was as if she was penetrating him. _A beautiful penetration, _he decided. "But don't let me stop you, go ahead." A long silence had taken place. "Okay…" she had said, walking toward the table. Naruto looked quizzical. Was that disappointment he had detected in her voice?

Now, seeing her laugh from afar made him happy. It was like he was her guardian. A chop to his neck brought him out of his thoughts. Clutching his neck, he stood up. "What the hell?" he shouted at Sasuke. Sasuke didn't shout back.

Instead he replied calmly, "You told me to hit you if you looked sleepy. So I did. Loser…"

Naruto fumed. "Sleeping and daydreaming are two different things, moron!"

"Watch what you say." Sasuke's reply was clam yet again. He wasn't even looking at Naruto.

"Look at me!" Naruto demanded. Sasuke didn't respond. He didn't even move. Naruto clenched his fists. "Look at me!" he said again. Sasuke did nothing. Naruto couldn't believe it. His own teammate ignoring him. It was like everyone else that he had met in his life. Ignoring him, detesting him, wishing he was gone. He couldn't stand it. "Damn it, Sasuke…" he said quietly. "Look at me…" Naruto couldn't believe it. He was shaking.

He grabbed Sasuke's shirt collar. Naruto lowered his voice. "How long have you wanted to fight me, Sasuke?" His voice was raspier, more forceful.

Sasuke reacted to this. How odd… What a random question. He decided to answer it. "A while. Our last fight was interrupted… I'd like to have one where that doesn't happen."

Naruto didn't know why he did what he did, but he did it none the less. Perhaps it was the fact Sasuke was ignoring him. Maybe it was because he was angry. Perhaps it was because the Fox was leaking out… Maybe it's because he wanted to?

Drawing his fist back, he punched Sasuke.

-

Sasuke couldn't believe it. He had only been playing with Naruto, just for the enjoyment he got out of it. He didn't think the bastard would actually punch him. He was sent sliding across the floor. He finally caught himself, swinging back onto his feet. Everyone in the room was staring at him. He was glaring at Naruto.

Naruto's arm was shaking, he noticed. And he seemed to be making a noise Sasuke couldn't interpret.

"What the hell?" he called out, hoping Naruto would respond. He didn't, but now Sakura was on her feet, staring at Naruto with wide eyes. "What are you doing?"

Naruto didn't respond to that either. Instead, he rushed forward. Sasuke braced himself. If it was thing he knew about Naruto, it was that when he put his mind to something, he wouldn't quit. Naruto reached him, jumped and kicked. Sasuke not only blocked the kick, he caught Naruto's leg and, after a quick spin, sent him flying.

Naruto twirled in the air, landing on his feet. He looked up at Sasuke.

Sasuke flinched.

His eyes were still the same colored blue, but his pupils were slits. They were eyes that he hadn't seen before, and it made him nervous.

"Sasuke," Naruto said. It came out more as a growl then an actual word.

"Yeah?" Sasuke finally responded.

"Ready?" Now it sounded like a half growl half laugh type of thing. But that didn't matter, because Naruto charged forward. At first he was on the ground, then jumped and was running on the wall.

Sasuke called upon his Sharingan, and got into a stance. Naruto tackled and punched. Sasuke flipped over the tackle and turned around. Naruto rolled when he landed. They stood facing each other a minute, then charged at the same time…

Well, tried to…

Niether one could move. It was as if someone had glued their feet to the ground. Not only that though, they couldn't move any part of their bodies.

"Naruto! Sasuke!" He heard someone call. "This is stupid. Stop!" Sasuke saw her out of the corner of his eye. Sakura was standing on the side beside Shikamaru, whose hand came apart from a hand sign.

_I see, _Sasuke thought. He could also tell Naruto was struggling to move.

"Shikamaru!" he shouted. "Let us go!"

Shikamaru threw his hands behind his head, relaxing his posture. In turn, Naruto and Sasuke did the same. "Afraid I can't do that, Naruto," he replied. "We have enough Exam troubles without you two fighting."

Naruto didn't respond, however, he did look angry.

Sasuke sighed, and his Sharingan vanished. He found Sakura starring at Naruto with a worried expression. Sasuke looked back at Naruto. He was breathing heavily, and Sasuke noticed he was calming down. His eyes were closed, and he seemed to be concentrating.

Shikamaru must have noticed this too, because he released the jutsu. Sasuke, lowered his arms, but didn't move from his spot. Naruto shook his head and opened his eyes.

They were no longer slits. They were normal.

But before anyone could do anything else, Kakashi appeared out of nowhere. He appeared in front of Naruto, who was no doubt surprised.

"Sensei?"

In a flash though, Kakashi gave Naruto one swift chop to the neck. Naruto immediately fell forward, and Kakashi caught him. Hoisting over his shoulder, Kakashi turned around.

Sakura huffed. "Sensei, what are you doing?!"

He ignored her. "I've explained to Shizune what I'm doing. She's not quite done in there, but I told her not to start the Second Exam until I returned."

And with that, he was gone.

Sakura stood flabbergasted, and even Shikamaru seemed to be confused. Sasuke stared at the place where Kakashi had just been standing, and a single thought crossed his mind.

_Just what are you…Naruto?_

-

Kakashi jumped from one rooftop to the other with surprising speed. The Hokage Tower stood proudly in the distance. He huffed as he continued.

He had been placed as leader of Squad Seven for many reasons, but the most important one couldn't be ignored. Control the Nine Tailed Fox. Because of this reason, he had trained himself to notice if the Kyuubi was leaking out. If he wasn't to far away, he would know.

That it was brought him to the First Exam. The second he noticed the Kyuubi's presence, he stopped what he was doing (reading the newest issue of the Make Out series) and headed over.

But it wasn't the same. Kakashi knew what the first Exam was. There was no reason why the Kyuubi would come out. After all, Naruto couldn't have been in any mortal danger. Because of this, Kakashi had come to a conclusion. A simple conclusion, but dangerous at the same time.

The seal was weakening.

-

Tsunade was tired. The paperwork had been astounding lately, no doubt from the Chunin Exams. She hated paperwork. She didn't expect so much of it when she decided to become Hokage. After signing six papers about… something, she sat back in her chair. Glancing around, she smiled, pulling a bottle of Sake from her sleeve.

"Finally…" she said, raising it to her lips.

A sudden knock on the door, startled her. Quickly leaning forward, she dropped the Sake, and sent many papers all over the floor. _Son of a… _she thought, eyeing the mess. "Come in."

To her surprise, Kakashi walked through the door, carrying… was that Naruto? She could tell he was about to speak, but he didn't. She followed his gaze to the mess on her floor. "Don't mind that," she said, blushing. "What do you want? I was in the middle of some important paperwork."

The Sake bottle rolled from under her desk to Kakashi's feet. He picked it up. "Apparently…"

She turned her head. "Don't make me repeat myself." She said.

Kakashi smiled through his mask. "Of course." He placed Naruto on the table in the middle of the room. "I have some information regarding…" He undid Naruto's jacket, and lifted his black shirt up "…this."

Tsunade looked at the seal. Realizing this matter was serious, she walked from around her desk to Kakashi's side. "What about it?"

"Just a little bit ago, I sensed the presence of the Kyuubi. It obviously happened while Naruto was taking the First Exam. But as you know, the First Exam isn't anything life threatening, so there's no reason for the Kyuubi to have leaked."

"I understand… You think the seal is weakening…"

Kakashi looked at her. "Precisely. Not only is the it twelve years old, but another factor could be that the Kyuubi is trying to control Naruto."

Tsunade raised an eyebrow. "Can it even do that?"

Kakashi shrugged. "It's a possibility. As you know, the Kyuubi is a part of Naruto's consciousness. It can have as much a factor on Naruto as his own mind."

Tsunade didn't say anything. Kakshi continued. "I can't think of another reason why Naruto would let the Kyuubi leak out." He scratched his head. "The Kyuubi told him it would be a good idea, so he did." He sighed. "I'm sure Sasuke didn't help that much either…"

Tsunade nodded. "I understand. You want to strengthen the seal…" She turned his back to him. "But I'm not the Fourth Hokage. I don't know how to do a Sealing Jutsu of that measure. If anyone, you should be asking Jiraiya." She rolled her eyes. "If anyone knows where he is…"

Kakashi looked back at Naruto's sleeping form, and pondered what to do next. He could try to find Jiraiya… But he didn't know where to start, nor had any idea where he might be. He could not do anything and hope for the best… He hit himself on the head. _Some Sensei I'll be._ Then an idea struck him.

He looked at Tsunade's back.

"I want to use Oppressors." He saw Tsunade tense. She turned to face him.

"Oppressors?" He nodded. "You know as well as I that-"

"Yes," he said calmly. "But that's the only option we have right now."

"But they'll affect Naruto more then the Kyuubi."

"I'm aware of this. Look, I know Naruto reminds you of your brother, but he isn't. Stop being protective and do what has to be done."

She sighed. "I know that… But Oppressors are dangerous. If we give him even one, his team won't pass the Second Exam."

"I know. A small price to pay until we can find Jiraiya and fix this permanently."

Admitting defeat, Tsunade walked over to a door in the right corner of the room. Taking a key from her sleeve, she unlocked the door. Swinging it open, she stepped inside. The room was relatively big. It was neatly packed with hundreds upon hundreds of scrolls of different sizes, jars with all sorts of things, and books with tattered covers.

Walking to the back of the room, she opened the biggest book Kakashi had ever seen. Flipping through the pages, she finally stopped, running her finger down the page. She looked around, and her face brightened as she took a jar from one of the top shelves. Exiting the room she walked over to Naruto, Kakashi right behind her. She opened the jar, and brought out a small white sphere.

She handed it to Kakashi. "Another." Her eyes widened, but she gave Kakashi another one, then headed back into the room. Kakashi leaned down next to Naruto, holding the object in between his index finger and thumb. Leaning Naruto into a sitting position, he slipped the sphere into his mouth. Then, taking a canteen from one of his vest pockets, he poured water down Naruto's throat.

He saw Naruto's face grimace, and sighed. "One more," he said. He repeated the process with the second Oppressor, and hoisted Naruto on his shoulder again. Turning, he face the Hokage. "You may think badly of me, but as the Hokage you should know this is the right thing to do."

"I know it is," she said, even though her face didn't show it. "I've just never liked Oppressors. I hate what they do."

A moment of silence. "So do I." Tsunade raised an eyebrow. "But I'm doing this for Naruto's sake."

He vanished, and Tsunade sighed. Pulling another bottle of Sake from her sleeve, she sat back at her desk. She hated paperwork.

-

The room was wet, to say the least. About a foot of water covered the entire floor. The walls were a dull gray, and the room was rather dark. But perhaps the oddest aspect of the room was the giant cage that sat at the very back of it. The bars were rusted, and you couldn't see into the cage. But on the middle bar, there was a piece of paper with a single word on it.

Seal.

Usually, steady breathing can be heard from within the cage. Occasionally you may hear a growl or two, but if you're lucky, you can hear a single word be uttered from it.

"**Seal…"**

The voice this word belongs to is very menacing. It is a dark, foreboding voice. A voice not many people would want to hear twice.

The person the voice belongs to is not really a person at all. It is a creature. It is one of the most ferocious creatures imaginable. A demon. This is not an ordinary demon, though. This demon has nine tails. Nine large, powerful tails.

This demon did something to earn this cage. It attacked a Village, and took on one of the strongest ninjas ever. It lost. And now it is sealed within this cage, a cage that it can not breakout of.

The cage with the word 'Seal' on it.

Today, the demon is awake. It is happy. The demon has recently done an experiment that was a complete success. Next time, he will be released, he knows it.

The foot of water in the room, is moving. The demon observes this, somewhat interested.

Suddenly, it is as if all the oxygen in the room constricts. The demon is now annoyed. Now it feels as though weight is being piled on his back. The demon does not like it. It stands for as long as it can. Its legs are shaking, and its back is straining. Its tails are having trouble moving. It let's out a low growl. It is angry. What's happening? The pressure is unlike what it's used to, and it doesn't understand where it is coming from.

The pressure suddenly increases. The demon stands for a couple of seconds, then collapses. Water goes everywhere. The demon cannot move. The pressure is too great. It tries to move its tails but they, too, will not budge. It let's out a earth shattering roar. The water ripples below it. Finally, he lays his head down, and closes his eyes.

They think they can suppress him. They think they can protect themselves. They think they are stronger then him.

The demon smiles, showing his bare, sharp teeth.

They think they are stronger then a demon.

Its voice is menacing.

"**They are wrong."**

**End of Chapter.**

**Next Chapter:**

**The Second Exam.**


	12. The Second Exam

**A/N: I thank GAU28 for his great suggestion for the Second Exam. If you like this, please give him credit. Well here's Chapter 12. Enjoy.**

**Chapter 12**

**The Second Exam**

The light was extremely bright, and almost blinding to Naruto. He covered his eyes, and rose into a sitting position. Drowsy, he looked around. He was sitting on a couch in the waiting room for the First Exam. Everyone seemed to be acting normal. His friends were still playing cards, and everyone else was either keeping to themselves or socializing. He stretched and yawned Noticing Sasuke leaning against the wall near him, he smiled.

"Bastard," he said, glaring at his friend. "I told you not to let me fall asleep."

Sasuke's eyes twitched for a second, but he didn't move. "Must've forgotten…"

Naruto looked away. _Apparently…_

His eyes fell on Sakura, whom wasn't sitting to far away. He saw Ino tap her on her shoulder and point in his direction. He looked behind him. Who was she pointing at?

Sakura looked behind her, and her face broke into a mix of worry and happiness. She immediately stood, and rushed toward him. She stopped short, and threw her arms around his neck. Naruto sat dumbfounded.

Sakura suddenly tensed and hiccupped. She released him and took a step back, eyes averted. "So," she said, looking at him again. "How was your… nap?" Naruto stared at her. What was that? It sounded as though she forced herself to say that. He scratched his chin. "Fine, I guess…"

She nodded. "That's good." She stood there for a little bit longer, hands behind her back. It was as if she was deciding to say something else. She shook her head. "That's good…"

Giving him a small wave, she retreated to the others.

Shizune walked through the door, and glanced around. Her eyes seemed to rest on Naruto, and she smiled. "Alright, that's it for the first exam. Congratulations to the 32 teams that passed." She paused. "Now, you all are to meet at the Village Gates in one hour for the second exam."

A boy in the back of the room yelled out, "What? Ya mean we don't even get a rest period?"

Shizune smiled evilly. "No you do…"

They all waited.

"…what do you think the one hour's for?"

-

Personally, Naruto felt like spending the hour at the Raman shop. And when he asked his teammates about it, they agreed. Well, Sasuke just shrugged, and Sakura, to Naruto's surprise, accepted the suggestion without hesitation. It left him a little confused… Since when was she so excited about Raman?

To Naruto's delight, the shop was empty. He sat down on the middle stool, and Sasuke and Sakura sat on either side of him. After placing their orders, Naruto relaxed and leaned back. Forgetting their wasn't any back support however, he fell out of the stool, hitting the hard ground. He grunted when he hit. Sasuke sighed and Sakura erupted in a fit of giggles.

After laying there a moment, he tried to get up, but found he couldn't. He was extremely tired for some reason. Well, after he though about it, he wasn't tired, he was exhausted. He couldn't explain it… It suddenly felt like he had no strength at all. It struck him as funny at first, but after he thought about it, it struck him as odd. What could he have done to drain him to such an extent?

"Uh, Sasuke…" he said awkwardly. "Could you help me up?"

Sasuke stared down at him. "Why can't you get up?"

Naruto gave a wide grin. "Not sure. Just help me."

Rolling his eyes, Sasuke offered Naruto his hand. Naruto grabbed it, and allowed Sasuke to pull him to his feet. He stumbled as he stood. "Whoa…" Saskura looked at him with curious eyes.

"Something wrong?"

He shrugged. "Not sure…" She cocked her head. He grinned. "I'll be fine though," he said waving his hands.

Their Raman was placed in front of them. "Finally!" Naruto shouted sitting down. He shoved the Raman down his throat in a matter of seconds. Sasuke stared at him dumbfounded. He finished slurping his bowl, slammed it on the table, and stretched. "The best…" he said.

He waited for his friends to finish before they exited. Walking down the crowded streets, he couldn't help but notice the stares the villagers were giving him. He tried to ignore them. He stared at the ground.

A man bumped into him, knocking him to the ground. He laughed, and kept walking.

"Naruto!" Sakura said, kneeling beside him. "Ya know," she called after the man. "You should really apologize when you knock someone down." Naruto tensed.

The man looked back. "I don't have to apologize to _him_." He said it with such intensity.

Sakura huffed. "Just because you're older doesn't give you the right to be rude!"

The man completely turned around, now. "Watch were you stick your opinions, girl." Sakura glared at him.

"She isn't the only one who thinks you should apologize."

The man looked behind him, and Sakura craned his neck to see who had said that.

It was Sengi.

He stood with his arms crossed. His other two teammates stood behind him. Sengi took a step forward. "Well?"

The man looked at him. "Well, what?"

"Apologize."

The man smiled. "Again, kids should keep their opinions to themselves."

Sengi's eyes narrowed. "Don't make me say it again."

The man, after a couple of seconds, broadened his smile, and slowly spit on the ground. "There's your apology."

In a flash, Sengi had lunged, but he didn't go far because the big guy on his team had grabbed the back of his shirt, holding him back. "Sengi," he said in a rough voice. "Calm down."

Sengi took a deep breath, and relaxed. He smiled at his teammate. "Thanks, Sado." Sado nodded and went back to his previous position of crossed arms.

The man had flinched at Sengi's sudden action, but he was calm again. "I had enough," he said, waving his hands around. He turned into an ally. "By the way," he said, directing his statement at Naruto, whom was back on his feet. "I am sorry…" he laughed as he walked on. "Sorry that you exist!"

Naruto dusted his pants off, acting as if he didn't hear the statement. Sakura, on the other hand, was angry.

"How dare he say such a thing! Why as soon as I get the chance I'm gonna-" Naruto placed a hand on her shoulder, stopping her mid-sentence. "It's okay, Sakura…"

Sakura was about to respond with something along the lines of, "What are you talking about?" or, "Are you crazy?" but was interrupted by Sengi's team reaching them.

"You okay, Naruto?" Sengi asked.

"I'm fine!" Naruto said, grinning. He was still extremely exhausted. But, for some reason, wouldn't show it.

Sengi nodded. Then, Naruto noticed, his expression changed to something of sadness, or anguish, or extreme pity. He looked at the ground. "I hate people like that…"

"You mean rude people?" Sakura inquired.

Sengi looked at her with a vague expression. "Yeah…" He stared in the direction the man had gone. "I guess you can say that… rude people…"

Sado cleared his throat, and everyone looked at him. "It's time to go," he said to Sengi, who nodded.

"Ya ready, Rayne?" Sengi called to the girl with the purple ponytail who had, oddly, kept her distance. Her face brightened, and she stood on her tiptoes to begin to wave madly. "You bet!" She yelled excitingly. Then, she and Sado were gone. Only Sengi was left, and he remained turned around. "Naruto…" he said still turned around. "Do your best in the Second Exam, whatever it is…" He turned around, and their eyes met.

For a moment, Naruto felt that same sensation from before. He couldn't explain it, but he felt there was more to Sengi then what they all saw. He made a small chuckle before he was gone, just like his teammates.

Naruto scratched the back of his head. He noticed Sasuke was already walking toward the Village Gate. His eyes widened. "Wait up! Sasuke!"

Sasuke didn't respond as he and Sakura took off after him. He was walking rather briskly, his hands jammed in his pockets as usual. They couldn't see it, but Sasuke couldn't stop himself from smirking. _This Exam… It's proving to be more interesting then I thought…_

-

At the Village Gate, the genin had gathered. They were all either talking with one another, or glaring at one another. Howling at the genin, the wind alone was enough to make them uncomfortable.

Naruto rubbed his sides, teeth chattering. Looking around, he didn't see anyone else that looked half as cold. So why was he? Usually the cold didn't bother him, but it was different right now, and he didn't know why. Looking over at Sakura, she didn't look cold at all. It was insane. She didn't even have sleeves! He was wearing a jumpsuit!

Suddenly, his legs gave way again, and he had to act like he dropped one of his kunai as an excuse to kneel down. He sighed. That was the fourth time that had happened since they arrived.

"Naruto," Sakura said, staring down at him. "Maybe you should put that in your holster." He grinned. "Yeah…"

He suppressed a grunt as he stood back up, wobbling slightly. _Where's that damn Procter? _He thought, looking around again. _He's twenty minutes late!_

He noticed most of the genin were thing the same thoughts. They either looked annoyed, restless or both. He couldn't help but notice the constant tapping of Sakura's foot, and the fidgeting fingers of Sasuke in his crossed-arms position.

As if on cue, two cloaked figures materialized on the very top of the Village Gate. Naruto strained his neck to see. They stood at, roughly, the same height, and they each seemed to carry a feeling of superiority. They stood there for several long seconds. Neither moved nor spoke. Then, at the same time, they reached for their hoods, and after another quick second, pulled them down, revealing their faces.

Naruto's jaw dropped as his legs gave way again, but this time he had a reason for falling to his knees. Before him, before all of them, stood Kakashi Hatake and Gai Maito.

And through all the silence that followed, a single voice could be heard.

"Gai-sensei!"

-

"Alright, listen up!" Gai yelled. "I and the man beside me will be your Exam Proctors for the Second Phase of the Chunin Exam!"

"Actually, it's just him. I'm just here because the Hokage asked me to be," Kakashi added lazily.

Gai looked annoyed. "How you're here doesn't matter, Kakashi. It's the fact you _are _here." Kakashi shrugged. Gai looked back down at the genin. "As I was saying… I am now going to explain the rules of the Second Exam." He smiled, teeth glinting. "So you might want to pay attention."

A voice rang out, "Yes sir!"

Gai nodded happily. " Now, first and foremost, the second Exam will not take place here, but…" he pointed behind him. "…out there." He paused. "You will each be given a scroll…" He paused again, but this time he seemed to be waiting for something. He glanced at Kakashi, who was stone faced. He cleared his throat. "I said, you will each be given a scroll…" Still a silence. Gai coughed, and Kakashi sighing, held out a pure white scroll.

Gai beamed. "Was that so hard? Anyway, six teams at a time will be released into the forest behind me. In the scroll, you'll all find a map, directions, and a picture. You are to treat these scrolls as mission scrolls, and this exam as a real mission. You are to travel to the area on your map, and search for the artifact that is identical to your picture. When you arrive back here, you are to have two artifacts to pass."

"Two? But I thought there was only one on the map?"

Gai smiled. "There is, why do you think more then one team is going at a time? You are to have your artifact, and take another team's artifact and scroll by any means necessary." He paused. "This includes death. Ah, this brings me to my next point… You fail this exam if your team only has one artifact and scroll upon returning, one of your members is killed, or your team cannot make it back within the time limit, which by the way, is three days.

"Six teams will be released into the forest in one hour intervals. Your artifacts are somewhat near each other, so you shouldn't have to waste all your time chasing down another team." He stopped. "Does everyone understand?"

There was murmur of agreement throughout the group. "Good. Then I will now call the first eight teams." He pulled a scroll out of his cloak and unrolled it. Clearing his throat once more, he began. "Team 41!" Gaara and his siblings stepped forward. Naruto couldn't help but stare. "Team 15!" A Sound Village team walked up beside Gaara's.

"Team 105!" A group of rock ninja leaped forward. "Team 25!" Naruto remembered that was Sengi's team, and sure enough, they appeared in front of the group. "Team 97!" This time, tough looking Mist ninja were the result of that calling.

Naruto heard Sakura sigh. "What is it, Sakura?" She smiled at him nervously. "It's nothing really… I'd just hate to be the team had to go up against all that…"

Gai cleared his throat once more. "Team 64!"

Sakura bowed her head. "God!"

-

The six teams stood in a horizontal row at the open Gates. Gai walked to each of them individually and handed them their scrolls. He passed out five, then backed off. Naruto, confused as ever, was about to ask him if they were getting one, but Kakashi appeared in front of them, placing a scroll in Naruto's open hands.

"Don't feel discouraged if you don't do that well in this exam…" he said. He seemed to be looking at Naruto. "Just don't forget what I taught you guys about teamwork."

He stepped back, and Gai raised an arm. "Ready? Set? Begin!" He brought his arm down, and in a flash all the teams charged forward, rushing into the forest at high speeds.

Team 7 was led by Sasuke in front, Sakura in the middle, and surprisingly, Naruto in the rear. He couldn't help but notice he was going his full speed, yet his teammates were somehow pulling ahead of him. He shook his head. That couldn't be right…

"Naruto!" Sasuke called. "Where are we heading?"

Naruto was hit with a sudden realization. "Oh right, forgot…" He unraveled the scroll, and stared at it. The map showed the Village Gates, and a somewhat detailed drawing of the forest, highlighting the important areas to their location, which seemed to be some sort of huge ancient structure. The picture, he noticed was some kind of sphere. "It looks like we gotta find some kind of sphere, and the…" He suddenly remembered something Iruka had said in class one day (one of the few days he had been paying attention) about an old temple located in the forest. No one really knew what it was for. "I think it's at that old temple, ya know?"

Sasuke was quite for a second. "Yeah, I think I know what you're talking about." He looked back. "Hey, what's wrong? Keep up!"

Naruto heaved as he jumped from another branch. "Shut up!"

-

The temple Naruto had spoken of wasn't to far away. He didn't remember the exact location, but he figured it'd be another ten minutes or so before they reached it. He coughed as he jumped from another branch. This was extremely tough on his lungs. He was still bringing up the rear, which kind of annoyed him.

He landed on a branch, and to his surprise, it lit up in a flash. He gasped as he tried to jump away, but his legs couldn't muster the strength to move in time. The explosion sent him flying ahead of the group. "Naruto!" he heard Sasuke yell as he roared past him. He crashed through another branch, which slowed him down, but wasn't enough to completely stop his momentum. He was suddenly choking.

Sasuke had caught him by the back of his collar. He looked at him. "You're lucky I was close enough to catch you…" he said, an annoyed look on his face. "You've got to pay more attention."

Sakura caught up to them. "I don't need you to tell me that!" Naruto shot back, shrugging away from Sasuke's grasp. After a second, he jumped away, moving forward again. _Bastard! _he thought. _How dare he save me! I didn't need his help!_

He looked back and saw Sasuke and Sakura gaining on him. He shook his head, and tried to increase his speed, but wasn't able to go any faster. Eventually, Sasuke passed him. He shook his head as he passed. He seemed disappointed. Naruto glared, and tried to jump after him, but his legs wouldn't support, and didn't move at the speed he desired. _THE HELL?! _He yelled.

Sakura fell in beside him, matching her jumps with his. "Something's wrong, Naruto…" she said, looking into his eyes. He couldn't help but melt under her stare.

"Nothing's wrong…" he replied. She smacked him softly on the back of his head. "Don't lie to me."

He looked away. "I don't know… Ever since the First Exam, I haven't felt quite like myself…" He paused.

Sakura kept her shock bottled up. _That's odd…_

_-_

_Kakshi laid Naruto on the couch. Stretching, he looked back at Sasuke and Sakura. "Listen…" he said. His tone was more serious then normal. "Naruto fell asleep. Okay? Good."_

_Sakura was confused. "But sensei!" _

"_He fell asleep, Sakura. He didn't go anywhere." He stared at her with his visible eye. "He fell asleep."_

_-_

"Sakura?" Sakura looked up at Naruto. "Oh… well… You'll probably be at 100% in a bit!" She smiled.

"We're here!" Sasuke called six branches away. They landed in a large, open area. The temple was brown and made of brick. It was also, Naruto noticed, old. It was crumbled, and eroded. It looked like it could collapse at any moment.

Sasuke bounded forward, taking the ascended steps two at a time. Reaching the top, he looked around. To his left was a small podium-type thing. It stood straight up, except for the top which had four sloped sides, and as all four sides met, they held a small spherical object in their grasp.

It was made of glass, and had some sort of pink mist swirling in it. Sasuke reached for it, but stopped himself. _No… To easy…_ He looked around. He didn't see anything suspicious, nor did he see any other of the genin teams. He slowly reached out again, and wrapped his fingers around the orb. Taking a deep breath, he pulled it away.

As soon as he did so, the four sloped sides, no longer supported by an object, clanked together. Right afterward, the side of the podium that Sasuke was facing began to crumble away, revealing four openings. Inside of the openings, Sasuke saw metal glints.

_Shit!_ Sasuke thought franticly. He jumped back as four kunai shot out of the openings at the same time. Two missed, but the other two slashed at his right arm and left leg, causing cuts on his skin. He stepped back, grabbing his right arm. _Damn those are sharp!_

He didn't have time to waste. He jumped out of the way just as four more kunai shot out of the orbs previous home. He avoided all these, but almost slipped on the step he landed on. He caught himself, almost dropping the orb in the process. He sighed.

"Sasuke!" He looked up to find Naruto waving at him, grinning. "Great job!" Sasuke returned with a small wave of his own. Unexpectedly, and out of the corner of his eye, he saw a flash of light, and quickly jumped in the air as an explosion ignited through the clearing. He landed on another step, wiping the sweat form his brow. Then it happened again. He saw another flash of light.

_Son of a bitch! _He quickly leaped from that step, heading towards the ground, the explosion sounding behind him. As he passed over the other steps, explosions followed right after. He was getting worried. How had he missed these the first time?

Landing on the ground, he tucked and rolled, finishing on one knee. He bounded toward his teammates waving the orb in the air. They nodded, and headed back into the forest. He quickly followed, bounding past Naruto and Sakura in six well timed leaps.

Naruto couldn't help but be annoyed. Even when he was trying to congratulate Sasuke for his efforts, he still had to show out! Damn he hated it!

"Alright," he called back to them. "All we have to do now is find another team and get their artifact."

Naruto and Sakura nodded. "Yep!"

Sasuke nodded in return, but as he looked back around, he was kicked in the chest, sending him backward into Naruto's arms. Naruto was in turn knocked off balance, almost falling off the branch. Sasuke hopped off., and stared at the ninja who had kicked him. It was one of the sound ninja. He had shaggy blue hair, and looked rough.

Sasuke quickly stuffed the orb into his weapon pouch. "I've been following you for quite some time. I'll be taking that item if you don't mind…" Sasuke mentally hit himself. How had he not noticed this loser?

"Yes… It would be best if you handed it over." Team 7 looked behind them, and found another sound ninja. Sasuke hit himself harder. _I can't believe this…_

_- _

He examined the situation. Naruto was practically useless for some reason, Sakura would be little to no help, and they were facing off against, what looked like, some pretty strong ninja. He sighed. _Two against one, huh? _He pulled out two kunai. Naruto and Sakura did the same. They braced themselves. The ninja charged at them from both sides.

-

Naruto wasn't the most confident person in the world right now… Two sound ninja had showed up out of nowhere, and he wasn't at his best. He chuckled nervously, pulling out a kunai. _That doesn't matter! I'll take these guys, no problem! _They charged.

_-_

Sakura had made a decision before this exam even started. She wasn't going to be a burden! She was going to do her best and help Naruto and Sasuke anyway she could. Determined, she pulled out a kunai. _This time, I'll help! _She took a deep breath. She couldn't explain it, but she felt a bubbling surge of power spread through her. She smiled. She wasn't worried at all when they charged.

-

_Just the way I like it!_

_I don't care if I'm not at my best, you're mine!_

_I feel stronger… Trust me, I'll take you both out!_

**End of Chapter.**

**A/N: Longest Chapter yet. Again, I'd like to thank GAU28 for the Exam. Thanks again to GAU28. **

**Next Chapter:**

**Unbelievable Reality.**


	13. Unbelievable Reality

**Chapter 13**

**Unbelievable Reality**

The ninja's were fast, Naruto would give them that. They wasted no time in launching their attack. One came straight at Naruto, who mustered all of his strength just to jump out of the way. Landing a foot away, he made his famous hand sign.

"Shadow Clone Jutsu!"

Naruto wasn't expecting what happened. No clones appeared, and he was suddenly in a world of pain. Instead of being supported by two clones like he had wanted, he doubled over, and coughed up blood. He was wide open, and the Sound ninja was heading right for him.

"Naruto!" Sasuke yelled. He kicked away the ninja he had been holding off, and raced to Naruto's side, intercepting the ninja's leg just in time. With a yell, he spun him around, and sent him flying to where the other ninja was. "Naruto! What happened?"

"…I… don't know…"

Sasuke ducked, barely avoiding a kunai. "Sakura!" She rolled over to them, dodging a few kunai herself. "Stay by Naruto." He looked toward the ninjas, who were now standing side by side, kunai drawn. "I'll handle this!"

"But Sasuke-" She didn't get to finish as he had rushed forward.

He jumped in the air, holding his kunai at the ready. He dived on them, his kunai clashing with their own. He touched the ground, and spun around, clashing kunai once more. They were a little more powerful, however, and knocked him off balance. They prepared another attack, but Sasuke was able to lean backward and do a couple of back flips in the opposite direction. The Sound Ninja's kunai ended up skimming the air.

He landed on one knee. He smiled. These ninja were pretty strong. _Nice…_ He took a deep breath, and activated his Sharingan. He rushed forward again, throwing his kunai this time. They deflected it easily, which was fine with him because he didn't think he's do any damage with those anyway. He jumped in the air, and did a couple of hand signs. Taking a deep breath, he spit out several fire balls at them.

They jumped out of the way, and the fireballs crackled as they hit the ground. He saw one bounce off a tree, and come right at him. He spun in midair, and caught the ninja's shirt as he passed. He was about to send him spinning towards the ground, but in a poof of smoke, he was holding a log. His eyes widened in realization, throwing the log away, but he wasn't fast enough to avoid a punch to his face from nowhere.

"Argh!" He landed on the ground with a thud. He recovered back to his feet, but, again, not in time to try to dodge two more punched to his face and ribs. Once more he was whizzing through the air, but was able to catch himself on a tree branch. He went on one knee, breathing heavily.

_Clunk!_

A kunai had skimmed past his face, but it did nothing but embed itself into the tree itself. He sighed in relief… Until he heard a fizzing noise. Looking behind him, he gasped. There was a paper bomb wrapped around the kunai.

_Damn! _He thought, but it was already too late.

-

_Boom!_

The explosion was earsplitting., and Sakura was scared. "Sasuke!" she screamed.

"That won't do you any good," a voice from behind her said. She turned slowly, the sound ninja sliding into her gaze. She shivered. She didn't know what to do. Beside her, Naruto struggled to his feet.

"Sakura…" he said weakly. "Get back…" She didn't move as he made his favorite hand sign. "Shadow Clone-" His eyes widened, and he went on one knee, hand covering his mouth. Sakura kneeled down beside him. "Naruto…" She said softly but urgently.

The sound ninja began laughing. "This is going to be easier then I thought." He raised a kunai. "All I have to do is take care of one little girl…" Sakura stared up at her attacker with wide eyes. What was she supposed to do? What _could_ she do…? She took another look at Naruto. She saw him there; he looked so weak, so helpless. And she was the only one who could protect him and herself.

…when a pink light shines…

The ninja swung his kunai down with all his might. It was going to be a death blow!

…determination will form…

_Shing!_

The ninja stood surprised. Sakura had raised one of her own kunai to block his attack. He tried to push down, but he couldn't seem to overpower her. "…the Hell?" he grunted.

Sakura finally managed to push her way back to her feet, and after a quick second, kick flipped his kunai out of his hand. As she landed, she jumped back, throwing her kunai, embedding it into the sound ninja's shoulder. He yelled in pain. Sakura bumped into someone behind her. She took a glance and found the other Sound ninja.

He grabbed her shoulder, holding her in place. "Seems you forgot about me…" She struggled to move, but didn't get anywhere. "Too late…" He thrust a kunai into her back. "Die!"

_Poof!_ In a puff of smoke, Sakura was gone, and in her place was a log. The ninja heard another _poof,_ and found the boy who was on the ground a second ago gone as well. _Interesting… _he thought. _This girl…_

Five kunai came out of nowhere, and he rolled to avoid them. _Nice try! _A spark caught his attention. Looking down, he found, nestled into the grass, an explosive note. "Shit!" he yelled. He immediately jumped into the air. The explosion followed right afterward. Still in the air, he was caught in the smoke. He covered his mouth.

_Swish! _He looked around. What was that? He didn't see anything. _Swish!_ That time, he though he saw movement below him. He looked down and again saw nothing. Feeling a little stupid, he raised his head.

He froze. Right in front of him, was that girl.

Sakura grabbed his shoulder, and pulled her fist back. The ninja went wide eyed, and she smiled. Then she punched him in the face, sending him out of the smoke and into one of the nearby trees. She landed on the ground, and jumped out of the smoke, landing behind the tree she was hiding behind earlier. She took a deep breath, and looked down at her hands. She had no idea where this strength was coming from. She thought all had been lost, but suddenly, something inside her went off, and now she felt like she could do anything. She clenched her fists.

She liked it.

She looked down at Naruto, who was still on his knees, breathing heavily. Suddenly, he went on all fours, and coughed up a bit more blood. She moved to help him, but stopped herself. She couldn't let her guard down. She didn't know what was wrong with Naruto, but she couldn't help but think those sound ninja had something to do with it.

Her eyes dropped. _Naruto…_ She peeked out behind the tree, and found the sound ninja helping the one she had punched to his feet. She looked away and pressed herself to the tree. She looked around. Where was Sasuke? She really needed him right now.

Her shoulders drooped. _Like usual, right? _

Suddenly, time seemed to slowdown. Her surroundings were slowly being replaced by blackness. It was enveloping everything. She was scared. She reached out to Naruto. "Naruto!" No words came out. Her voice was gone. She slid down the tree to a sitting position, and covered her head with her hands. She couldn't hear anything.

Soon, the tree was gone, along with the sky, the forest floor, and even Naruto. It was a dark nothingness. She couldn't move. She noticed something materializing in front of her. It was going slowly, but soon she could tell it was a person. Her eyes widened as the person became complete. It was herself. A second Sakura…

The other Sakura just stood there, staring at the real one. Sakura looked up at her. "Who are you?" Again nothing. It was as if she had no voice at all. The other Sakura, with an emotionless face, extended her hand. Sakura stared at it for a second before, cautiously, extended her own hand, and grabbed it. The other Sakura pulled her to her feet, and after a moment, she smiled. A bright, pink light suddenly flashed, blinding Sakura.

But she didn't cover her eyes, close them, or do anything of the sort. The second Sakura's eyes suddenly began glowing pink, and she and Sakura's hands began to do the same. _Wham!_ It was like a tornado slammed through her system, because she was suddenly out of breath…

-

"Where the hell is that girl?" one of the sound ninja asked, looking up into the trees.

"How the hell should I know?" the other replied. He snickered.

"What's so funny?"

He held up his hands. "Nothing, nothing." He paused. "Just the fact you got punched," he began laughing, "that hard by a fucking girl!"

The sound ninja stared at him annoyed. "Screw you…" He said, looking back up into the trees. He suddenly heard a noise to his left. He and his teammate looked. It was that girl… She had walked from behind a tree into the open. The ninja's teammate smiled and took a step toward her. He held at his arm to stop him. "Are you stupid?" he asked, pushing him back. "It's obviously a trap." He pulled out a kunai and paused, checking once more for any possible ambush, then he threw it straight at her head.

She merely tilted her head to the side, though, and the kunai sped harmlessly by. He narrowed his eyes. "Bitch tryin' to make me look bad…" he said to himself, reaching for another kunai. Suddenly, he stopped in his tracks, hand frozen just above his pouch. Was he seeing things?

The girl's right arm was slowly being engulfed by a bright pink aura. It started at her shoulder, and slowly began crawling down her arm, and ended at her fingertips.

"Is that… pink chakra!?"

"I don't know… I didn't even think you could see chakra!"

The chakra was now wavering in the air, whipping around slowly. It was if it was asking to be used. The girl slowly lifted her head and charged forward. She didn't seem to be any faster, but that didn't stop the ninja from throwing shuriken at her. She dodged them easily, and didn't stop running. She finally reached the ninja, and drew her arm back. He knew she was about to punch him, so he jumped back, well out of her reach. She didn't stop though, and punched anyway, colliding with air.

The sound ninja smiled. What a waste… Wait… He looked closely. Was she smiling too? At the end of her punch, when her fist stopped, the pink chakra shot out of her fist like a laser, and collided with his chest. He was forced back, and crashed into a tree. Sakura jumped into the air, and punched at the other ninja. Again, a sort of chakra blast shot out of her fist, aimed at the ninja. He dived out of the way just in time as they blast hit the ground, sending dust into the air.

He rolled when he hit the ground, getting back to his feet. He strained his eyes through the dust and sand. He couldn't see anything. He began turning around, trying to find that girl through the debris. Suddenly he turned, and found her right in front of him. He gasped, and before he could move, she slammed her right fist into his stomach.

For a split second, his eyes made contact with hers, and he saw she had bright, pink, eyes. He was sent straight into the sky, coughing blood as he went. There was nothing behind her punch but raw power. After about a minute, he landed on his back on the hard ground with a loud thud. The other sound ninja finally appeared back on the scene, holding his chest in pain.

"I don't know what the hell happened to you," he said to Sakura, "but it's fuckin' weird!" He picked up his buddy, and hauled him over his shoulder. Sakura drew her fist back and punched again, sending out another chakra blast. The ninja managed to avoid it. "Not twice!" he yelled, and began to run to the opposite side of the clearing. Sakura followed, shooting more chakra blasts at him, none of which were able to hit him.

He reached the edge of the clearing, and jumped, preparing to land on the closest branch. But while in midair, some one appeared in front of him, kicked him in his chest, and sent him back down to the ground. He landed on his feet, and the other kid landed not to far away. The sound ninja's eyes widened. "Impossible!" he said.

The young Uchiha stared at him. "No," Sasuke said. "What's impossible here, is you or your friend ever getting laid." He smirked. _Score one._

The sound ninja sneered and drew a kunai with his free hand. Sasuke did the same. In a flash, their weapons were clashing, the sound ninja trying to push Sasuke back, and Sasuke trying to keep the sound ninja from going anywhere. Again and again their kunai blades met, and again they pushed away. Sasuke, after another strike, was able to knock his opponent's kunai out of his hand, and kicked him in the air.

In the air, he was wide open. Sakura jumped into the air with him, and crossed her arms so they made an 'X' shape. After a moment, her left arm was flowing with pink chakra just like her right. She yelled, and swung her arms down to her sides, the result being a pink chakra blast shaped like an 'X.' It flew across the clearing, and hit the ninja with full force, sending him and his teammate into and through three trees. When Sakura landed, she was breathing heavily. The pink chakra slowly vanished, and she collapsed to her knees.

The sound ninja, slowly and painfully pulled himself out of the tree. He was covered in blood, some of it belonging to his friend. He grunted painfully, and fell to the ground. He couldn't believe it… A lonely girl defeated both of them. "Kenta is not going to like this…" he said softly. Someone appeared in front of him. He looked up and found the boy from before, the one with blond hair and that ridiculous jumpsuit. He wasn't even in the fight, and he looked like he had been through hell.

Naruto slowly reached down and grabbed the ninja by his shirt collar. The sound ninja smirked, and held up his free hand. He made three quick hand signs, and was gone in a puff of smoke. Naruto coughed as the smoke cleared, and slammed his fist into the tree. "Damn it!" Clutching his stomach, he slowly made his way back toward the clearing.

He looked at the ground as he walked. He had been so useless… Hell, he couldn't even do his best jutsu! He clutched his stomach, stopping. He felt like something was wrong with him, but he didn't know what. He brought his hand to his forehead. Maybe he was imagining it… He continued back to Sasuke and Sakura. One thing was sure… He hadn't imagined coughing up all that blood. He shivered. Something else was bothering him. He hadn't felt the Kyuubi in a long time. Lately he had been hearing it more often then normal, but now he couldn't hear it at all… He didn't know if he should worry or not…

He stepped into the clearing, squinting his eyes from the horrible sunlight now pouring into it. He saw Sasuke help Sakura to her feet. That was another thing. Sakura had stepped up when she had to, and fought well. He couldn't believe the type of power she pulled from nowhere. It reminded him of the Kyuubi's red chakra. He was glad she did that when she did, otherwise he might be dead.

He suddenly fell to his knees, coughing. Sasuke glanced in his direction, then led Sakura to a tree, gently settling her against it's trunk. He had to admit, he was impressed. The explosive note had not really hit him, he had avoided it last second and his in the trees. He was going to come back down and continue fighting, but then decided he wanted to see what Sakura was going to do. He was impressed.

He jogged over to Naruto, and helped him back to his feet. "You alright?" Naruto nodded, and Sasuke led him to the tree beside Sakura and laid him against it. He took a step back, and took a deep breath.

The sun was beginning to set, and it was becoming quickly made a small fire pit, and shot a small fireball into it to light it. The flame took immediately, and began to give off heat. He nestled on the other side of it, opposite Naruto and Sakura, and propped one knee up. Sakura yawned. He raised an eyebrow. "Tired, Sakura?"

She looked at him. "No… She said, completely contradicting what she had just said. She sounded exhausted.

He asked the question he'd been keeping back. "What was that you did?"

She looked at him again, the looked off into the setting sky. "I'm… not totally sure, to be honest…" She paused. "I knew I wasn't going to be able to beat them…but I knew I had to… So I just concentrated and wished and believed and…and it suddenly happened. I was flowing with unbelievable power! Although I don't quite remember what I did during the course of that fight…I know I won…" She looked at him again. "With your help of course."

Sasuke nodded. He was interested, but threw it aside, switching his gaze to Naruto. "Naruto… What the hell happened to you?" Naruto looked away. He had been afraid Sasuke was going to ask him this…

"To be honest… I don't really know… For some reason, I couldn't do anything…" He paused searching for the right words. "It was as if my chakra was completely backfiring on me…" He touched his stomach. "I still feel that way…"

Sasuke leaned his head back, looking up at the sky. "This puts us at a disadvantage." He raised his head. "Listen, I'm fairly confident those Sound ninja will come back. They already know Naruto isn't at his best, and I doubt their just gonna walk away from a defeat like that."

"So what do we do?" Sakura asked?

"I suggest we get some sleep, and deal with it in the morning. After all," he continued, putting out the fire, "they have an artifact we still need."

With that, he laid on the ground, and instructed Naruto and Sakura to do the same. They did, and soon, Team 7 was getting some well deserved rest.

-

The sound ninja put his teammate on the ground, and looked up at the third member of their squad.

He was carelessly tossing a small object into the air, and catching it as it came back down. "So, you were beaten… by a girl?"

The sound ninja held up his hands. "Hold on! This wasn't an ordinary girl… she had some kind of power…" He stopped. It sounded pretty lame.

He threw the object in the air again, but this time held it when he caught it. "I don't care. I gave you two morons a simple task: Take an artifact from a lonely team of genin." He flipped his silver hair out of his eyes. "You couldn't even do that."

"Sorry…"

"It doesn't matter, though." He held out his hand. "Because I still got this." The artifact he was holding seemed to be a small, rusted key. "And when I accompany you in the morning, I'll defeat the three of them myself!" Kenta smiled, then remembered moron number two collapsed on the ground. "And clean him up, will ya?"

-

That next morning, Naruto awoke with the sun shining in his face. "Argh…" he groaned, squinting painfully as he pulled himself into a sitting position. Sasuke had been right. After that sleep, he _did _feel a little better. He yawned, glancing around. Sakura was still snoozing beside him, and Sasuke wasn't even there. He looked down at Sakura, and a shiver ran down his spine. He couldn't stop himself from taking some of her stray hair and tucking it behind her hair. Even through all his pain, he couldn't help but feel good around her.

Suddenly, Sasuke appeared, and Naruto quickly brought his hand away. Sasuke, apple in his mouth, and holding many more items in his arms, eyed him for a second before tossing another apple at him.

"'ere." Sasuke said through an apple. Naruto caught it clumsily. "'an 'dis." Sasuke also threw something else. It landed in Naruto's lap, and he eyed it curiously. It appeared to be a type of flower. It had a long green stem with white and yellow petals. He looked at Sasuke. "You want me to eat this?"

Sasuke nodded, placing the same two things beside Sakura, and dropping the rest by the fire pit. He took the apple out of his mouth, taking a bite. "It's good, trust me."

Naruto looked at the flower again, then back at Sasuke, who rolled his eyes. "Just do it, you need your strength back up." Naruto frowned. _Can't argue there. _He picked up the flower, and sniffed it, then brought it to his mouth and licked it. It tasted alright, he guessed. He quickly bit off the part with the petals. He scrunched his face up as he chewed, but then relaxed as he swallowed. It was actually pretty tasty. He looked back up at Sasuke, who smirked.

Sakura stirred, and Naruto looked at her. Her eyes slowly opened, and she yawned. She sat up lazily and slowly, and looked around stupidly. _Not a morning person, _Naruto mentally noted. She picked up her flower, and looked at it. Spotting Naruto's half eaten flower, she looked at him quizzically. "It's actually pretty good," Naruto said, taking another bite of the stem. She paused, then, hesitantly, took a bite. Her face suddenly brightened up, and she ate the rest in another bite. Naruto stared at her.

"Hungry?" She took a bite of her apple. "Very," she replied.

"She ought to be," Sasuke said, throwing his apple core into the forest. "After what she did yesterday…"

Naruto finished his flower, then, using the tree for support, pulled himself to his feet. Sakura dropped her apple core, and did the same.

Sasuke looked at the both of them. "So how did you-" His eyes widened, and he suddenly ran at Naruto grabbing him, and pushing him to the ground. He whipped around, pulling the kunai that had just embedded into the tree out, and facing the direction in which it came from. "Might as well come out. I know you're their."

One of the sound ninja from yesterday stepped out from a bush. "Hello again." The next second, the other ninja appeared on a high tree branch above his teammate.

Sasuke smirked, glancing at Sakura. "Come back for another beat down?"

The sound ninja shifted uncomfortably, but they didn't say anything.

A voice rang out. "No, actually, we didn't." A figure bounded from the forest, landing not to far from Sasuke.

Sasuke's eyes narrowed. There was something different about this guy. He seemed more proud, more full of himself. He was definitely the leader of the squad. Sasuke narrowed his eyes, activating his Sharingan. The new sound ninja's eyes widened.

"Sharingan? I've read about that…" He smiled, glancing back at his two teammates. "Alright, I'll give you guys a little slack for this." He looked beyond Sasuke. "Is that the girl?" They nodded. "Hmmm…" He paused. "Alright," he said, "I leave those two," he gestured toward Naruto and Sakura, "to you two." He looked back at Sasuke. "You have the Sharingan, so you must be an Uchiha…" He got into a stance. Sasuke did the same.

A moment of pure silence passed… Then, _swish, _Sasuke and Kenta were gone, and the two sound ninja were running toward Naruto and Sakura. By now, Naruto was on his feet again, and he and Sakura sidestepped their charge.

He was about to make his favorite hand sign, but stopped himself, better judgment interfering. Instead, stumbling, he threw a couple of shuriken. They blocked them easily, and jumped at him. Luckily, Sakura intercepted them, slashing one of their shoulders with her kunai. She landed, and then flipped behind them. She turned, slashing at their backs. She thought she was successful, until they disappeared in a puff of smoke. She gasped. _Substitution! _

She was grabbed from behind the larger of the two. He wrapped one of his large arms around her neck, lifting her off the ground, and held her their. She struggled against his tight grip, but to no avail. She had dropped her kunai, and she couldn't reach her weapons pouch. He began to laugh when an idea struck her. Whipping her leg forward, she kicked back with all her might, hitting the ninja where she had intended: the most uncomfortable place to hit a male.

He howled, and immediately dropped her, clutching his balls. She grabbed her fallen kunai when she landed, and ran toward Naruto, who was picking himself up off the ground. She was interrupted however, by the second ninja grabbing her in the same manor. She smiled to herself, and repeated her kick. However, her foot met his second free hand. She gasped.

"I'm not stupid," he said. "I saw what you just did."

"Sakura!" Naruto yelled. Gathering his composer, he ran toward her, only to be met by the second ninja's fist in his gut. The force was so great, his feet came off the ground, and he coughed up a large amount of blood. Along with the blood, he also coughed up a small round object. The ninja held him there for a second, then removed his fist, as a result, Naruto dropped to the ground, motionless. Sakura screamed, and the ninja went back to rubbing his nuts.

Things did not look good.

-

No, things did not look good indeed.

Sasuke quickly found out that Kenta was an extremely formidable opponent. He was matching Sasuke move for move, and had no trouble maneuvering around the uneven tree branches. He had even managed to slip behind Sasuke a couple of times for an attack, attacks that Sasuke had been _just _able to block. They clashed kunai for the fifth time of the fight, and jumped back on branches, getting into their stances. Sasuke huffed. This guy was annoying.

"You are formidable, Uchiha," Kenta said. "But this battle will be mine." Sasuke smirked. "That's what you think!"

Sasuke jumped, and quickly grabbed three shuriken, throwing them along with his kunai. Kenta merely smirked, and raised his hand, making a single sign. _Wham!_ They had stopped in midair. Sasuke stared open mouthed. Kenta repeated the same hand sign. _Wham! _They were now redirected at Sasuke. Same sign. _Wham! _Sasuke's own tools were now flying towards him. All he could do was cross his arms to guard as they shot past him, cutting his shirt, shorts and skin.

He landed, anger apparent on his face. "What the hell!?"

Kenta laughed. "It's my special jutsu. It allows me to control the air and sound currents to manipulate things in the air." He shrugged, still smiling. "Of course," he continued. "The larger the object, the more chakra it will take." He spit at the ground. "Now, let us continue."

"Ahhhhhhhh!" Sasuke turned his head. That scream belonged to Sakura. His eyes suddenly widened. To late to realize his mistake. Kenta was all over him, throwing punch after punch, kick after kick, and slash after slash at him. The barrage seemed like it would never end, but was quick and painful.

Soon Sasuke was falling toward the ground, Kenta following willingly. Once close enough, he grabbed Sasuke by his shirt, spun him around, and threw him so he hit the ground with even more force, while Kenta landed harmlessly on his feet.

The dust cleared, and Sasuke could be seen sticking out of a small crater. He was breathing heavily, and coughed up a little blood. He looked like hell.

Kenta began to laugh. "That was fun! Best fight in a while, Uchiha!" He noticed Naruto collapsed nearby, and Sakura still being held. "Nice job." He said unenthusiastically. "I guess you morons can do something right." He suddenly remembered. "Which one has the artifact?"

"Not this girl."

Kenta nodded, and walked over to Naruto. He reached down to-

_Whoosh! _

Kenta gasped, and jumped back. A red aura was suddenly spurting off Naruto. It gave off a killing vibe, and a demonic feeling. It rose up, and then sprinkled over Naruto's whole body. Slowly, he pulled himself up onto all fours, shaking his head like an animal. He then rose to his feet, and looked straight at Kenta, who flinched. Both of Naruto eyes had slit pupils, and were half blue, and half red. He was breathing heavily.

He looked at his right hand, then clenched his fist. Finally, he could feel the Kyuubi again. He could feel it's chakra. It wasn't a lot, and wasn't fluctuating completely, but it was something.

"Finally!" He crossed his index and middle fingers. "Shadow Clone Jutsu!" Two clones appeared beside him, and they all three ran at Kenta. He jumped back further, and began to run up the nearest tree. The Naruto's merely jumped from the ground to the very tree branch he had just run on. They surrounded him. He got into a stance, and prepared himself. The Naruto on his left lunged toward him. He stepped back, and blocked the incoming punches. He noticed Naruto had claws now.

Naruto flipped over him, and swiped, catching Kenta in the back. "Argh!" Angry, Kenta nailed him in the shoulder with a kunai, turning to the other two as that Naruto disappeared in a cloud of smoke. Another Naruto ran at him, and swiped. Kenta blocked it, twirled behind him, and kicked him in the back. Naruto went flying across the clearing. Kenta gasped. _The real one! _He immediately jumped after him.

Naruto caught himself in the air, and readied himself. He caught Kenta's punch, and moved his hand to grab his wrist. Giving him a quick spin, he threw him into a tree. Naruto did a backflip as he fell and landed on the ground. Kenta shook his head, and jumped from the tree, throwing a kunai. Naruto ducked under it, and noticed Kenta made a simple hand sign. His eyes widened as his ears perked up. He did a twirling jump out of the way of the now redirected kunai. As he landed, he quickly blocked Kenta's rushing kick. He threw him away, and lowered himself to the ground.

_Damn! _He thought. _This isn't even half of the usual power I get from the Fox! _He looked down at his hand. _I don't know if I can... But I've got to try! _

He held his hand out, and yelled, forcing what little chakra he had. Slowly, a small ball of swirling chakra formed. "Now!" Kenta raised an eyebrow, and after a second his eyes widened. That second Naruto he had left behind now had grabbed him so he couldn't move. "What?!" He looked forward as Naruto ran at him. Naruto ran as fast as his legs would allow, holding his ball of chakra with both hands.

Sweat beat down his face as he sped up. He was going to do it! He jumped in the air, and lunged at Kenta. "Rasengan!" He held the Rasengan out in front of him, wind rushing past his face as he was about to strike. Then, two inches away from Kenta's chest, his Rasengan vanished, and all he hit Kenta with was an open palm. He didn't even flinch. Kenta smirked as he rammed his head back, hitting the other Naruto. He disappeared in a puff of smoke.

Kenta raised his hand to Naruto's wrist. "To bad… That attack looked like it would've hurt." Clenching his wrist, he swung Naruto in the air, and slammed him back into the hard earth. Kenta stepped on his chest, pressing hard. Naruto grunted in pain. The Fox's chakra was now gone completely, and he had never felt more helpless. "How disappointing," Kenta said, pressing a little harder. "Even after all that, you still couldn't do anything."

"Leave him alone!" Sakura suddenly screamed at him. She didn't know what that red chakra had been, but that didn't really matter right now. She had to help him somehow. She struggled to get out of the grasp her attacker had her in, but it was to no avail. She also tried to activate that pink chakra from before… No luck there either…

Kenta smirked at her. "Ah, yes, I almost forgot about you. What do you say we-"

_Wham!_

Kenta's eyes suddenly widened. Something had just landed behind him, something big! He slowly turned his head. A rather muscular ninja was standing over him. For a second, Kenta thought he wasn't going to do anything, but his theory was suddenly trashed as he met the new ninja's fist. He was sent flying across the clearing. The ninja on his team caught him as he was about to hit the ground. He quickly jumped out of his arms. "Who the hell are you!?"

The ninja he addressed was tall, muscular and tan. He stood with his arms crossed, and was eying Kenta intently. Kenta and his teammates seemed to have no idea who this person was, but Sakura recognized him. "Sado!" she shouted before her captor covered her mouth with his hand.

Sado looked at Sakura. "I'd let her go…" he said softly.

Kenta smirked. "And, what if we don't?"

"Then you'll pay the consequences," a new voice rang out. Slowly, a smaller ninja stepped from behind Sado. He had brown hair, and stood about as tall as Naruto. "And trust me," he continued. "You don't want to know those consequences." He looked angry. "Now let her go!" Sengi took a step forward.

Kenta continued with his smirk. "No," he said simply. Sengi shrugged. "Oh well." He raised his hand, and gave Sado a quick pat on his muscular arm.

Sado immediately rushed forward drawing one of his huge fists back. He punched at Kenta's feet, forcing the ground to split. Kenta, surprised, jumped away. "Go," he ordered, landing. The ninja nodded, and quickly jumped in the air, pulling out kunai. He threw them straight at Sado, making sure each one was dead on accurate. Sakura watched in amazement as Sado dug his fists in the ground, and pulled a portion of the earth out to use as cover. The kunai easily embed themselves into the solid earth. Sado then proceeded to pick the ground up, and throw it at the ninja, who had no choice but to get hit. He yelled in pain as he hit the ground, the ground portion falling with him, and landing on top of him. He lay motionless.

Kenta stood surprised. Sengi chuckled. "Still won't let her go?"

Kenta took a step back. "N-No way!" Sengi shrugged again. "Fine, it's your choice." In a flash he was gone, and behind Kenta. Kenta turned just in time to block a kick. Grabbing his leg, he held him there, thrusting a kunai at his head. Sengi blocked it last second with his own, and placed his hands on the ground. Spinning around, he was able to force Kenta in the air. Flipping back to his feet, he threw his kunai at him. Kenta smirked and used his jutsu to redirect the same kunai back at Sengi. Sengi, surprised, barely avoided it.

Kenta landed, and readied himself by dropping into another stance. Sengi grabbed another kunai, and held it out in front of him. Kenta didn't waste a second as he rushed forward. They exchanged quick blows, and then separated again.

"I'm done playing games," Kenta said.

"Really?" Sengi replied. "Could've fooled me."

Sakura watched as they attacked each other again, their blows barely visible to her eye. _Swish! _Sakura heard something behind her, but couldn't look to see. Suddenly, her captor's grip was loosened, letting her go as he fell to the ground. Sakura took a deep breath and found it had been Sado who appeared to her aid. "Thanks," she breathed. He gave her a touching smile. "No problem."

Suddenly, Kenta and Sengi were visible again. They had clashed kunai, and were now frozen, trying to push the other back. "Give up," Kenta spat, able to take a step forward. Sengi grunted, taking a step back in return.

"Don't feel like it!" Sengi ducked, giving Kenta a fierce kick in his chest. He was forced into the air. Sengi dropped on one knee, doing a couple of hand signs. After a moment, he pointed his index and middle fingers of his right friend at his opponent. His other three curled into his palm. "Ninja art," he shouted. "Lightning Strike!" A quick bolt of lightning shot out of his two fingers, hitting Kenta square in his exposed chest. Kenta yelled, landing hard on his back.

_What the? I can't move! _Sengi was soon standing over him. He smiled. Kenta coughed.

"Unbelievable."

Sengi thought a moment. "Is it so hard to believe reality?" Kenta's response sounded like a mix between a laugh and a burp. He closed his eyes, and kept quiet.

Sengi leaned back, stretched, and yawned. "Damn…" he said. Sado and Sakura walked over to him.

"You okay?" Sado asked. Sengi chuckled. "I'm fine." He looked at Sakura. "How about you? Are you okay?"

Sakura blushed. "Yeah…"

He smiled. "Good." He reached down into Kenta's weapon pouch, and pulled out a small rusty key. By this time, Naruto had managed to pull himself to his feet. Sengi turned towards him. Sakura was confused by his expression. Was that…sadness? Sengi shook his head, and tossed the key toward Naruto, who barely caught it. "There," he said, throwing his hands behind his head. "You've got two artifacts now!" Naruto looked confused.

"But… This should be yours." Naruto offered it back to him. Sengi shook his head. "No thanks. Rin is already getting our second one."

"By herself?" Sakura asked. Sengi nodded.

Sado suddenly grabbed Sengi's shoulder. "She's calling to us. We better leave." Sengi nodded. "Sounds good." He turned back to Naruto and Sakura. "Later!" With that, they jumped back into the trees, disappearing in the opposite direction.

Naruto slid the key into his weapon's pouch, and mustering all of strength, managed to hoist Sasuke on his back. He flicked a smile at Sakura, who blushed. "Let's leave?"

She responded without hesitation.

"Yes."

**Next Chapter:**

**Sengi's Question**


	14. Sengi's Question

**A/N: The update's below. (By the way, if you couldn't tell last chapter, I've changed the girl on Sengi's team name from Rayne to Rin for my own personal reasons.)**

**Chapter 14**

**Sengi's Question**

"She said she'd meet us halfway," Sado said, suddenly stopping on a tree branch he'd just landed on. "And this is it. Halfway exactly."

Sengi stopped on the branch just behind him, panting. Usually he would've taken the lead, but he just wasn't able to keep up. He put his arm against the tree's trunk for support; his legs were killing him.

Sado noticed. "He was stronger then you thought." The image of Kenta's smirking face flashed through Sengi's head. "He was also faster," Sado continued. He turned to face Sengi. "You best be careful. The technique that makes you faster also increases your fatigue far too quickly. You would've lost that fight if you'd of jumped in any sooner."

"I know!" Sengi retorted.

"Apparently you don't!" Sado snapped. Sengi lowered his eyes. "In order for this operation to succeed, _you _have to stay alive, got it?"

A took a moment for Sengi to respond. "Yeah, Sado. I'm sorry."

"No you're not." His tone was firm, but Sengi could tell he was over his anger. "You were just trying to show off because Naruto was there." He showed a small smile. "And, no doubt, he's worried."

Sengi leaned his back against the tree. He knew Sado was right, but wouldn't admit it. Naruto had been there, yes, and that could've been the reason why he had fought so hard. He sighed.

Just then, Rin dropped from above them. "Here you guys are!" She said a little too energetically. Sengi hated it when she got all hyper like this.

Sado spoke first. "Calm down, Rin. Did you get it?"

Rin looked at him, a look of annoyance flashing across her face. "Did I get it? No… I just thought I'd show up empty handed like you would've wanted!"

Sado raised an eyebrow. "I'd watch your tongue if I were you, Rin."

Rin stuck her tongue out at him, but nevertheless pulled a small, rounded, purple stone from her weapon's pouch. She tossed it to Sado; he caught it and put it in his own weapon's pouch along with the other artifact they had collected. He stood up. "Alright. Let's head back, now." He glanced at Sengi, a smile appearing on his face. "Your legs might not be up to it yet, but, hey, I warned ya."

Rin frowned and looked at Sengi. "Oh, Sengi," she said, helping him to his feet. "You didn't use that jutsu again, did you?" He slowly nodded. "God, Sengi. You know how tired that makes you, and you haven't even mastered it!"

Sengi shook her off. "I know, I know. Just lay off me." He glanced at Sado before leading the way back through the forest.

-

This forest was a bitch, Sengi decided. He might not normally think that way, but in his tired state it was far too big. His legs cringed under him every time he jumped from one branch to another, and his brow was tingling with sweat.

Eventually, they made it to the edge of the gates of Konoha. Those two proctors from earlier were waiting there. The one that wouldn't stop smiling greeted them. He made Sengi uncomfortable.

"Well done!" he said. "Well done, well done!" He patted them all on the back. "Do you have both artifacts?" They pulled out the stone and the wooden box. The man opened a scroll and seemed to be going through a list. He finally spoke again. "Ah, yes here we are! The stone and the box!" He took them from them. "You pass," he continued triumphantly. He gestures toward a nearby building. "All the teams that pass are to report over there."

They thanked the man, and made for the building. They found a chunin waiting at the entrance. He told them that the teams who passed are being held on the top floor. They entered the building, and began to climb the winding staircase, much to Sengi's displeasure. They reached the room, and entered.

They were several ninjas spread throughout its many couches and chairs, all either discussing the exam, or just joking around. Sengi collapsed into the nearest free chair, and took a deep breath.

"Sengi!" a voice rang out to his left. He looked and found Naruto and Sakura approaching.

"Hey," he replied politely. He looked around. "Where's your third guy?"

Naruto rubbed the back of his neck nervously. "His injuries are being treated. Sakura and I've already been looked at."

"I see."

Sakura tapped Naruto on the shoulder. "I'm going to talk to Ino and Shikamaru, okay?"

"Yeah, that's fine." She left, and Naruto turned to Sengi, a serious look on his face. "Listen, I hope we didn't put you in much trouble."

Sengi shook his head. "No, none at all. I mean, if we hadn't shown up when we did, you might be dead, and don't think anyone wants that!" He finished with a chuckle.

Naruto looked away. "There might be some…" he mumbled softly. Sengi heard it, but pretended he hadn't. A string of guilt flushed into him, and he immediately felt sorry for Naruto.

Unaware to Sengi or Naruto, a third person had drawn nearer. His voice was dull, and he spoke as if he hadn't had sleep in days, maybe weeks. "Hello, Naruto."

Naruto looked up. Sengi followed his gaze, and found a sand ninja just to their right. Sengi didn't recognize him, but apparently Naruto did.

"Gaara!" Naruto exclaimed. "It's good to see you."

Gaara nodded. "Likewise." He looked at Sengi, who flinched under his gaze. It was as if Gaara's eyes were looking into him, unraveling his very being. He retuned the gaze, and they each were silent for a long time.

Naruto finally spoke. "Ummm, Gaara, this is Sengi. He's a cloud ninja."

At first, Gaara had seemed not to here, but, eventually, he did respond. "I am Gaara of the Sand." Sengi nodded his hello, and slowly broke Gaara's gaze.

Gaara turned back to Naruto. "I'll see you in the next exam." Without waiting for a response, he walked away.

"I think I'm gonna go over there." Naruto gestured to where Sakura was at. "See ya."

"Bye." Naruto left, and Sado immediately bent in Sengi's ear.

"I do _not _like that Sand ninja at all. He was giving off some weird vibes."

Sengi nodded. "I agree. When he looked at me, he seemed to be looking into me…"

Sado nodded. "I noticed. He doesn't trust you, that's for sure."

"Do you think he can sense-"

"Shhhh!" Sado interrupted, a stern look across his face. "Shut up!"

Sengi swallowed. "You're right, I'm sorry."

A silence followed as the room continued with its vibrant atmosphere. It was almost…too perfect. A voice came from around him. "How long do we have to sit here, anyway? I'm ready to get the third exam over with!"

Sengi had been wondering that himself. He thought about it. _Let's see… The time limit is up at midnight tonight, right? So not to much longer…_

Suddenly, _**Good! I grow bored with each passing second! **_The voice was deep and petrifying, bouncing and echoing throughout his head.

Sengi sighed inwardly. He was hoping he would be able to skip a conversation. _I can't help that you're bored._

_**Find me something to do.**_

_Like what?_

_**I do not know. But I if I do not kill something soon, I'll go on a rampage until I do! And that means taking over your body.**_

Sengi's eyes widened. _You said you wouldn't do that anymore! _

_**I can do whatever I want. You forget, with our seal as weak as it is, are roles can trade oh so easily.**_

_Lord Raikage won't approve!_

_**Our generous Raikage lets me do anything I want and you know it. After all, he needs me. All we have to do is win this exam thing, and I'll have what I want, and Raikage will have what he wants. **_

_This isn't right!_

_**Get your head out of the clouds, boy! Only the strong survive in this world! I cannot afford for you to be weak!**_

…_I know. I'm sorry for crossing you. _

_**Now hurry up and get moving, or I'll move for you!**_

The voice vanished, any trace of it gone. Sengi was breathing somewhat heavily, and he couldn't help but cough a bit. He glanced around, and noticed Gaara staring at him intently. He held his gaze for only a moment before looking away. He leaned his head back, and closed his eyes, sleep overtaking him.

-

He awoke to Sado's urgent tapping on his shoulder. Immediately he was prepared and focused. He found the room quiet, all eyes fixed upon a man who had just entered. Sengi rubbed his eyes, and looked at the man. He was a Leaf jonin, his headband worn as if it were a hat, covering his whole head. He stood there, hands in his pockets, chewing on what looked like a toothpick or a twig or… Sengi wasn't sure.

He spoke. "Alright, listen up. Now there are too many of you left after the second exam, so we'll have to have a preliminary round to narrow down the competition." He continued chewing on that twig. It annoyed Sengi for some reason.

Someone yelled out, "So what does that mean…?"

The jonin smiled. "It means you fight one another until the best are left." He dropped down to one knee and began to do a series of complicated hand signs, each looking foreign to Sengi. Slowly, the room began to spin. The walls evaporated into nothingness, and the floor melted beneath their feet. Vibrant colors replaced them, spinning just as irregularly as everything else.

Then, _wham_! It all stopped just as fast as it had started. They were in a large, empty room. A stone statue of a hand sign was at the head of it. It sat under a huge screen. Balconies rimmed the walls on either side of them.

The jonin stood up, and walked toward where the statue was. Sengi had just noticed that a long table sat under it. Sitting there was the Leaf's Hokage, the Raikage, the proctor form the first exam, the two proctors from the last exam, and several other Leaf ninja he didn't know. When he reached the table, he whispered something to the Hokage, and after she whispered a reply, he turned back to the group.

Before speaking, he gestured to the screen above them. "All of your names have been entered into that computer. Before each fight, two names will be drawn at random, and those two will have to come battle before me, the judge." He shifted the twig to the other side of his mouth. "The winner will move on to the actual third exam." He paused. "These are the rules: there are no rules. You keep fighting until your opponent gives up or dies." He waited another beat. "That being said, I can step in and stop the match at any time I think the winner is clear."

He looked around. "Does everyone understand?" There was a murmur of agreement throughout the group. "Good. The wait up there-" he motioned toward the balconies, "until your name is called."

They took their places above the ring as the screen starting shuffling names. Sengi found Naruto and his team standing near them. He walked over. "Hey," he said.

Naruto turned, then grinned. "What's up, Sengi?"

"Oh nothing." He noticed Sasuke was with them. He must have come back in the room when Sengi was asleep. He nodded his head toward the screen. "So, how do you think, you'll do?"

Sengi's question seemed to surprise Naruto. "I'm gonna win, obviously!" He looked at Sakura and Sasuke. "We all are!"

Sengi smiled. "Good to know. I'm going to win, too, so I'll see you in the third exam."

Naruto gave him a thumbs up. "You know it!"

Sengi walked back over to his team, and leaned against the railing. "What was that about?" Sado asked.

"I just asked a question is all. He says he's gonna make it through this."

Sado nodded. "Good, we need him to."

A loud _dink_ noise let them all know the screen was done. It displayed the following: _**Tatsuya vs. Kankuro.**_

Sengi craned his neck to find who these to were, and to his delight, found them both walking down from the opposite balcony. Tatsuya was a tall, tan, muscular genin. He had ripped shorts, and wore a skin tight shirt. Kankuro wore a stupid looking jumpsuit type thing. He had a large long object wrapped up on his back.

They both stood opposite each other in front of the proctor, and after a quick hand motion, and a shout of, "Begin!" the preliminaries were under way.

----

And just like that, they were over.

Eight single genin stood in front of the long table some time later. They were all battered and bruised, but stood proud and tall, clearly proud of their accomplishment. Finally, Tsunade stood up and spoke to them.

"Congratulations on making it through the preliminaries, but this is just the beginning." She held up one finger. "In one month, the third exam will be held. Use that time to rest, train, and do whatever you see fit that you think will help you. You'll be fighting each other again, but you'll know about it ahead of time." She made a hand motion. The proctor brought forth a box with an opening in the top. Tsunade continued. "You will each come forth and draw a lot from the box. It will have a number. If you draw one, you'll fight two, and so on and so forth.

"Now, one at a time, come and draw."

The first person in the line of genin came forward. He stuck his hand in the box, and pulled out a number. After checking, he said, "Seven."

He got back in line, and the next one came forward. He drew a paper, and after looking at it, said, "Three."

The process continued until everyone had drawn. "Alright," Tsunade exclaimed, clapping her hands together. "Pay attention, because you won't be given this again for a whole month."

She cleared her throat.

"The matches are as follows:

Gaara vs. Sengi.

Deadaru vs. Sasuke Uchiha

Sado vs. Shikamaru Nara

and Tatsuya vs. Naruto Uzumaki.

"Are we all clear on this matter?" They nodded. "Then off you go, and good luck in your practices!"

The room began spinning again, and before they knew it, all the genin were back in the room were in before. The eight of them looked at one another. "So this is it," Shikamaru finally said. "I didn't even mean to win my match…"

Naruto grinned. "Get over it, Shikamaru; it's over with now, so deal."

"I suppose. I'll be seeing you all." He left. Gaara mumbled a good bye, and also left not to long after.

Sado, Sengi, Naruto, Sasuke and that Deadaru stood in awkward silence for a moment. Sengi noticed that Sasuke was looking at Deadaru with the upmost of hatred. Sengi too observed him. His hand band was being worn like a doo-rag, and bore the Sound insignia; he wore a black sleeveless overcoat.

Naruto broke the silence. "C'mon Sasuke, let's get back to Kakashi. We don't have a lot of time here."

Sasuke nodded, and together, they left.

"We should leave as well, Sengi," Sado said, grabbing his shoulder. "Best of luck to you," he said to Deadaru as they left.

-

They opened the door to their hotel room, and found Rin and the Raikage sitting at the table. The Raikage's face lit up when he saw them.

"Sengi, my lad," he started, standing up and striding over to them. "Well done, well done! I knew you could do it!"

"Thank you, Lord Raikage," Sengi replied. He scratched his head nervously.

The Raikage continued. "There was no doubt in my mind that you would defeat Neji Hyuga, and I could only hope that fortune would smile upon us and have you fight Naruto in the fist match." He paused. "But, alas, we must deal. You'll have to fight Gaara of the Sand and Sasuke Uchiha before we meet our goal."

Sado nodded. "Yes. They both are extremely formidable opponents, having won their matches almost cruelly."

Raikage smiled. "Of course, you'll still be able to win, Sengi, have no worry of that." He peered out the window. "Then we can all have what we want…" He trailed off.

Sado turned to Sengi. "We should begin training in the morning. One month will go by faster then you think."

"I agree," Sengi replied. He turned and bowed to the Raikage. "I'm tired. If you'll excuse me, I'm going to rest." He left the room, leaving the Raikage, Sado, and Rin alone.

After the door closed behind him, the Raikage dropped his smile and cheery attitude. "My God, he almost lost control in that fight with the Hyuga." He dropped his voice to a whisper. "Tsunade wouldn't stop glaring at me."

"He almost lost control two days ago in the middle of the streets, sir."

The Raikage rested a hand on his face. "The seal grows weaker every day. Just one more month, and it'll all be over." He looked at Sado. "I've also received word from the Sound. Orochimaru's agreed. They'll be ready in a month's time."

Sado smirked. "Then we have nothing to worry about?"

The Raikage sat back, tugging on his beard.

"Nothing at all."

It began to rain in Konoha.

**End of Chapter.**

**A/N: 'Aight. Thanks for sticking with me. (By the by, I'm WELL AWARE what I did with the preliminaries was really gay, and I'm sorry.)**

**Next Chapter:**

**A Toad Sage can Fix Anything!**


	15. A Toad Sage Can Fix Anything!

**Chapter 15**

**A Toad Sage Can Fix Anything!**

"Sorry, Naruto, but I've already promised Sasuke I'd train him."

That was Kakashi's response to Naruto's request of training. It left Naruto with a morbid expression on his face, and a bemused feeling through his system. They were in front of Ichiraku's celebrating Naruto's victory. Kakashi had tried this same stunt last time, and Naruto was tired of it.

"But why can't you train both of us?"

Kakashi responded quickly. "Because you two are competing against each other. You would know Sasuke's new techniques, and vice versa. What'd be the point?"

Naruto struggled with a counter, but failed to come up with one. "So what do you expect me to do?"

Kakashi's eyes showed he was looking at Naruto in confusion. "Didn't you train with Jiraiya last time?"

Naruto raised an eyebrow. That was true. When Kakashi had bailed on him last time, Jiraiya had, fortunately, came tumbling in the picture. After Naruto convinced him to train him, he helped perfect Naruto's walking on water technique, and taught Naruto how to summon the Chief Toad, Gamabunta, just in time for the third exam. He had also taught Naruto how to do the Rasengan, his best move, although that wasn't really for the exams.

All in all, Naruto couldn't deny he was only as strong as he was now because of that perverted bastard. "Okay, fair point." He told Kakashi. "But I don't even know where to find him!"

"Why don't you try asking the Hokage."

"Good idea!" Naruto was already bouncing on his toes. "Thanks, sensei! See ya in a month!" With that, Naruto jumped to the top of the nearest building, and began to skim across the rooftops. His hand went to his stomach. He still felt a little uneasy and sick. Like something inside him was causing him pain. The Kyuubi? Possibly. The thought of it frightened him. But maybe he was just overreacting. Maybe he was just sick. Everyone gets sick every now and then.

Sakura also kept popping into his head. Not that he didn't mind, but her frequent visits often distracted him. He couldn't help but wonder what she's been up to. Is she mad at him and Sasuke for winning they're matched? Is she disappointed that she didn't win hers? What is she doing right now?

Naruto shook his head as he landed in front of the Hokage's Tower. He stepped inside and took the stairs two by two until he reached Tsunade's door. He didn't knock.

"Hey!" he yelled, swinging the door open. Tsunade was there, like he expected, but a surprise was waiting for him also. It came in the form of who Tsunade was talking to; a certain man who couldn't stop his eyes from wandering.

"There you are!" Naruto yelled, pointing a finger and a grin at the man.

"Here I am," Jiraiya said, shooting Naruto's grin with a frown. "And unfortunately, so are you…"

Naruto didn't hear. He rushed forward and bombarded Jiraiya with excited questions and statements that he couldn't understand. "Settle down!" he shouted. Naruto quieted, but didn't abandon his excited demeanor. "Okay, kid. What's the problem? What do you want?"

"For you to train me for the third Chunin Exam!" Naruto almost shouted it, but managed to control himself.

Jiraiya only looked at him. "Again…?" He finally asked.

"Yeah. I've got to be ready! There are some seriously strong ninja this time!"

Jiraiya looked at Tsunade, who only half giggled, shrugged and turned away. He looked back toward Naruto. It was obvious there was no way out of this. "Fine," he finally answered. "Remember that river where you learned to walk on water? Meet me there tomorrow at noon." He couldn't help but smile.

However, to say Naruto was smiling would be an understatement. "Alright!" He was excited. More training from Jiraiya meant he would be getting much stronger. "I'm gonna go get ready! See you tomorrow!" With a quick nod toward Tsunade, he was out the window.

With Naruto gone, Jiraiya laughed openly. "I was wondering when I'd get to train that kid again!"

Tsunade raised an eyebrow. "You didn't sound to excited to me."

Jiraiya looked at her with a mock serious face. "Of course I didn't! You can't let him know you're excited about training him! Then he'll be all over you everyday askin' for new techniques! Just ask Kakashi!"

Tsunade made a small laugh. "Wasn't there something you wanted to talk about?"

Jiraiya turned serious instantly. "As you requested, I've been following them."

"And? Anything to report?"

Jiraiya nodded. "A little. Not so much on them, but rather their targets." He took a step toward the window. He gazed out at the village. The sun was beginning to set, and its light cast a sort of majestic glow over it. "They have four of them."

Tsunade's eyes widened with shock and disbelief. "Four? Are you sure?" Jiraiya nodded. "My God… They've been busy haven't they?"

"They certainly have been working much faster then we originally thought, yes," Jiraiya agreed. "All the more reason to train Naruto any chance I get. There's no telling what kind of danger he'll be in within a year, or even half a year." He paused. "They might even use this Chunin Exam to their advantage. After all, with three in one place at one time, how can you pass it up?"

"I know." Tsunade sighed. "But what do you-" A soft knock on the door interrupted her. "Enter."

The door opened to reveal a surprising visitor.

-

Sakura was disappointed. Once again, she would be stuck on the side lines while Naruto and Sasuke are fighting. She didn't want that. She had wanted to win so badly, but sadly, when you're beaten, you're beaten. She was walking the streets, what else could she do? She had tried to find Kakashi to see if he would mind having a training session with her, but, not surprisingly, she couldn't find him anywhere.

On top of that, Naruto wouldn't leave her alone. Not physically, but he kept on popping into her head. She didn't know why. She would just be doing normal things, and suddenly, his face would pop into her head. At first she thought it was annoying, but after a while, she found it to be comforting. In its own way.

As the Hokage's Tower came into view, she gazed upon it. The sun was hitting it just right, giving it a sort of fiery glow that showered everything around it. Her eyes suddenly widened, and something clicked inside her head. She got an idea.

She began to run. She bumped into a woman, making her drop her groceries, and she was almost positive she knocked an old man down. She didn't care. She couldn't stop. She burst through the door of the tower, and bounded up the steps until Tsunade's door came into view. She finally slowed down. She was breathing heavily, but she was there, right outside the door. She raised her hand to knock.

"…the more reason to train Naruto any chance I get. There's no telling what kind of danger he'll be in…"

She backed away from the door. She went as far as the wall opposite the door would allow. What was that she just heard? Naruto was in danger? From what? Was he in danger now? Should she help him? Maybe she just heard wrong. She stepped forward, and knocked.

"Enter."

She opened the door. Tsunade was sitting at her desk, and…was that Jiraiya, another of the legendary sanin, standing next to her? A sudden nervousness came over her. She knew she should speak, but she couldn't. Where was the nervousness when she just hatched her idea?

Saved for the time being. Tsunade spoke first. "You are… Sakura Haruno? The kunoichi from Kakashi's squad if I'm not mistaken." A pause. "What is it you need?"

Sakura opened her mouth, but no words come out. She glanced around the room for a second before looking back at the Hokage.

"I…want you to take me…as your student!" She finished the statement. That was her idea from the start. She wasn't going to let Naruto and Sasuke become stronger without her.

Tsunade stared at the pink hair girl for a minute. She certainly is bold. She studies the girl for a second. Everything about her seems…off. At first glance, Tsunade can tell she isn't that powerful, but she's got a good mind, and incredible potential. She glanced over at Jiraiya, who is smiling uncontrollably. He looked at Tsunade, and flashed a grin.

"We'll talk another time." With that, he jumped out the window the same way Naruto had. With him gone, Tsunade looked at Sakura again. She crossed her hands, and closed her eyes.

Finally, after what seems like hours, she opens them again.

"I guess it can't hurt," she said, giving Sakura a smile. Sakura, literally, jumped into the air. She was happy. Tsunade spoke up again, "Don't think this will be easy!" She stood up, pointing a finger at Sakura. "I'm going to work you hard!"

Sakura barely heard her.

-

Noon, the next day, Naruto arrived at the river. He looked around, and determined Jiraiya was not there yet. He sat down on the bank of the river, and began to throw pebbles into it. He watched the ripples they made, and smiled at their simplicity.

"As that what entertains teenagers these days?" Naruto looked up, and found Jiraiya standing over him. "I thought you'd be out of control with rage since I wasn't hear yet!"

Naruto shrugged. "I knew you'd come."

Jiraiya nodded. "And here I am." He sat down beside Naruto and gazed into the river. After a moment, he said, "So, ready to learn some new techniques?"

Naruto jumped up. "I've been ready!"

Jiraiya laughed, and stood up too. "Okay, there are some things I'd like us to get to, but time may not be on our side. First, I want to teach you some new jutsu." He clapped his hands together. "And if we have time, I'd also like to improve your Rasengan."

Naruto grinned. "Awesome! Let's get started!"

"You took the words right out of my mouth!" Jiraiya walked away from Naruto a bit, rolling up his sleeves. "Since you can do the Rasengan, it's obvious you're a natural with wind element techniques, so that's all I'm gonna' teach you. This first jutsu I'm gonna' teach you will probably be the most useful, in fact, this is an original jutsu I came up with!"

Jiraiya did two quick hand signs, and held out his right arm straight in front of him, his hand open palmed. A moment later, a gust of wind shot out of his hand. It was so strong, and pushed all the pebbles around them farther down the bank. It even was bending some of the trees nearby. After another moment, he closed his hand into a fist, and the wind was gone. The air was still again. He looked back at Naruto. "Well, what do you think?"

Naruto sat in awe. He was surprised that Jiraiya came up with that by himself. "I thought it was great! I can't wait to learn it!"

Jiraiya felt a swarm of pride. "Then buckle down, 'cause this is how it works!"

-

_WHAM!_

Kakashi moved just in time to dodge the attack. Sasuke landed, and disappeared again. A few seconds passed. Movement! This time Kakashi knew exactly where the attack was coming from. He ducked, and caught Sasuke's leg, hurling Sasuke away. Sasuke landed on his feet. He was exhausted. They'd been doing this since dawn.

"C'mon, Sasuke!" Sasuke spit at the ground. "If your suspicions are correct, and your first opponent really was sent by Orochimaru, then we're gonna' have to work a lot harder!" Sasuke stood back up, rubbing his neck. "And put away your Sharingan! I told you not to use them!"

Sasuke grunted, and abandoned his eyes. "I still don't see why you can use yours, but I can't use mine!"

"It's all apart of the training! Now! Come at me again! Give it everything you've got!"

-

"C'mon, Naruto! It may not seem like it, but this an extremely simple jutsu!"

Naruto sighed. "I know, get off my back!" He took a deep breath, and made the two hand signs Jiraiya had showed him, and held out his arm, open palmed. No gust cam out like before; it resembled more of a gentle breeze. Naruto closed his fist, and collapsed into a sitting position. He was panting, even though he shouldn't be.

Jiraiya sighed. "Look, all you have to do is concentrate chakra into your arm, and release it in one push! It immediately combines with the air particles near your hand, and is released as wind! The more chakra you use, the more powerful the wind will be, and it will last for as long as you flow the chakra!"

Naruto waved him off. "I know, I know! You've said it a hundred times! Just let me rest a second." He was still panting.

Jiraiya looked at him. _There's no way this simple technique is exhausting him to this degree. Something's up. There's a third variable I'm missing. Maybe…_

"Hey Naruto, look!"

Naruto looked toward Jiraiya, and as soon as he did, everything went black. Jiraiya had karate chopped his neck. He laid him on the bank, and removed his shirt. He did a couple of hand signs, and pointed his middle and index fingers at Naruto's stomach. They turned blue, and after a moment, a small, blue orb inside Naruto's stomach grew blue as well.

"So that's out problem…" He held his two fingers over the blue orb, and began to move toward Naruto's mouth. The blue orb followed, and soon, Jiraiya managed to hover it out of Naruto's mouth, and into his own hand. Upon inspection, he found it to be an Oppressor. "Haven't seen one of these in a while…" His fingers returned to normal, and he crushed the Oppressor with his hand.

A few minutes later, Naruto woke up. "Ow… My neck."

"I don't know what happened, now, shall we get back to that technique?"

Naruto eyed him suspiciously, but stood up. For some reason, he felt stronger, he felt a lot stronger. He also didn't feel as tired. He…also didn't remember taking his shirt off. He shrugged, and did the two hand signs. Holding out his arm, open palmed, he concentrated, and released!

A small gust of wind shot from his hand, it wasn't as powerful as Jiraiya's had been, but he was still pretty happy. He closed his fist, and the wind stopped. He felt powerful. "What did you say this jutsu was called?"

Jiraiya laughed. "It doesn't have a name. I was going to name it, but I never got around to it." He paused. "You can name it if you want."

Naruto looked at his hand. "Okay… How is this useful, anyway?"

Jiraiya smiled. "That's what we are going to be practicing tomorrow, now go home and get some rest."

-

Sasuke was drenched in sweet. He couldn't help it. He was tired. Kakashi looked tired to.

"Alright," Kakashi said. "We'll finish this tomorrow."

"Fine by me."

Kakashi laughed. "There's a lot of things I want us to get to, but first…" He trailed off. "Starting with that Limit of yours…"

Sasuke froze. Where had he heard that before? It wasn't to long ago… He suddenly remembered. The bright, blue chakra, his overwhelming strength and speed!

"You can't fool me. My Sharingan sees a lot more then yours does." He chuckled. "Don't worry. Being able to Limit isn't an entirely bad thing. It's just how you go about it. And I'm here to help you with it."

Sasuke nodded slowly, and looked up at the night sky. He remembered that night he fought with the Limit; the power he had had. He would be happy to learn how to use it. The Exam was just a month away, and it was sure to be full of surprises.

**End of Chapter.**

**A/N: Aight, the Third Exam is about to start. Who else is excited?**

**Next Chapter:**

**There's Only Seven Here**


	16. There's Only Seven Here

**A/N: Insight, people. Insight. Under proper conditions, anyone can change something. I'm pushing the Gaara/Sengi fight back a chapter, to make room for a bridge that makes a little more sense. My apologies to anyone who was looking forward to it. **

**Chapter 16**

**There's Only Seven Here**

The stadium used for the final Chunin Exam was located, roughly, in the exact middle of Konoha. As a result, the streets were packed, the shops were busy and the atmosphere was a little awkward. The citizens of Konoha had not quite forgiven the Sand and Sound Villages for their extremely disloyal actions at the last Chunin Exams. The fact that they were now walking the same streets with them was a little hard for some of them to swallow.

Sakura was making her way to the stadium. She found herself bumping into people constantly, and her ears hurt from how loud it was. Not to mention her whole body was sore. Her training with Tsunade was definitely not a cake walk, and the fact that she could even walk today surprised her. It wasn't all bad, though. Everyday she got a little stronger, a little faster and a little better at medical nin-jutsu. So far, she had been able to bring a fish back to life, and heal a dog's broken leg. Of course, it exhausted her every time, but it was progress.

Her parents said that she had matured over the past month. She didn't see what the big deal was. Sure she had changed her clothes (under Tsunade's suggestion) and could lift a boulder half her size with almost no problem, but that was beside the point. Her parents thought it was the best thing ever. Her mother especially had no problem parading around the village, making a point to tell everyone she saw that _her _daughter was training under _the _Hokage.

She glanced up at the sky. The sun was almost completely overhead. She was excited, to say the least. The matches were supposed to start at noon, and she was looking forward to it. But what was she looking forward to, exactly? The matches? Maybe. A well deserved break from her training? Also possible, but not quite it. She told herself these things, but she couldn't deny what she felt deep down.

She wanted to see Naruto.

Ever since she started her training, he had been popping into her head more and more frequently, and she found herself not minding at all. As a matter of fact, on more then one occasion, she had been scolded by Tsunade for allowing herself to be distracted by him. Even when she was done for the day and went home to rest, he invaded her dreams. There was one in particular she couldn't stop thinking about; one that involved Naruto carrying her through the cool night air as he jumped along rooftops. It wasn't much, but it definitely made her stomach do back flips.

She wasn't sure when these feelings surfaced, but she was glad they did. They reminded her of how she had felt about Sasuke, only they were different. They seemed more natural, more honest, and because of them, she was giddy with excitement at the thought of seeing Naruto again. At running her hand through his hair. At looking into his blue eyes. She blushed at the thought, and shook her head.

The stadium was just as big as she remembered. All the damages from the attack at the last Exams had disappeared, and it had also received a new paint job. It looked magnificent. As Sakura approached the entrance, she saw a group of kids her age standing off to its left. They seemed to be conversing about something. As she got closer, she saw it was Ino, Chouji and Shikamaru. She decided to walk over to them.

"…that's all!" Ino finished saying as Sakura got into earshot.

Shikamaru rolled his eyes. "I still don't see what the big deal is. Does it matter?"

Ino looked shocked. "How can you say that, Shikamaru? Of course it does! You've got to win this time!"

Chouji, who was munching on a handful of potato chips, intervened with, "I don't know why you're even trying Ino. Shikamaru will win if he wants to."

Ino turned on him. "You're missing the point! You both are!" She fumed, and looked away, stomping her foot on the ground.

"Maybe you shouldn't complain, Ino," Sakura said, finally deciding to speak. "If you want someone to win so badly, maybe you shouldn't have tied with Rin."

Ino frowned at Sakura. "Shut up, forehead! In case you didn't notice, you're sitting on the sidelines too."

Sakura shrugged, ignoring her insult. "That's why I'm getting stronger."

Ino looked taken aback by Sakura's response, but didn't say anything. Sakura wished Shikamaru a good luck, and turned to head inside the stadium. "Wait!" Ino said. Sakura looked over her shoulder and raised an eyebrow. "Me and Chouji'll sit with you." Sakura smiled, and led the four the four of them inside. Shikamaru headed off in the direction of the Exam Bunker, while Sakura tried to find her, Ino, and Chouji some seats. They managed to get a front row view in one of the middle sections.

She sat down gratefully. She couldn't help but be tired, but her tiredness couldn't suppress her excitement, and nervousness. She blushed as Naruto popped into her head again. She couldn't wait to see him. She tried to peer into the Bunker to see if he was there yet, but it was difficult.

_Let's see… There's Sengi and Sado…and Gaara, I think…Umm…Who's that? Oh Shikamaru…_There was also the Sound ninja and the Mist ninja, but she couldn't remember their names.

Ino's voice made her jump. "Looking for Sasuke?" she asked, a twinkle in her eye.

"No," Sakura replied without hesitation and honestly.

Ino raised an eyebrow, but then relaxed. "Oh, I see. You're just trying to psyche me out by pretending you're not looking for him, huh? Well it won't wor-!"

"No," Sakura repeated seriously, and giving Ino an intent stare. "I'm really not." Ino gave her a perplexed look, then turned to Chouji and said something. Sakura half smiled to herself. Maybe she had matured a little bit.

Opposite the Bunker was a balcony. On top of it, sat Tsunade and the Raikage, each sitting in their respective chairs, and each with their respective bodyguards. Sakura saw them talking to one another, and even saw Tsunade laugh. That was rare. Tsunade was always so serious.

She suddenly felt a familiar chakra signature behind her. _Naruto?! _She turned her head, but didn't find Naruto. Instead she found Kakashi and Sasuke standing at the head of the stairs of their section. They were standing side by side, both with their hands in their pockets, and both looking bored. Kakashi didn't look any different but Sasuke was wearing the same brown outfit he wore at the last exam when he arrived late. His hair was also about as long as it had been too. She couldn't help but think he looked handsome, especially with his long bangs.

He found her eyes and half smiled. He nudged Kakashi, nodded towards her, and they began to descend the steps together. Kakashi waved at her, and she waved back. Ino saw her wave, and looked at who she was waving at. Her eyes widened when she saw Sasuke, and she began to fiddle with her fingers nervously.

When they reached Sakura, Kakashi was the first to greet her with his standard, "Yo."

"Hey, sensei. Hey, Sasuke." Sasuke, eyes closed, nodded at her. She was half expecting it. "So how was the training?"

Kakashi smiled under his mask, and put a hand on Sasuke's shoulder. "Let's just say that Naruto'll have one Hell of a time!" He laughed.

"Speaking of Naruto," Sasuke said, opening his eyes. "Is he here yet?"

Sakura shook her head. "Nope. I've checked."

Was that a frown that passed over Sasuke's lips for a half second? "Oh…" His disappointment was obvious.

Kakashi said, "Yes, it is weird that Naruto would be even a tad late to this kind of thing." His visible eye widened, as if he just remembered something. "Oh, Sakura! I head that you were training under Lady Tsunade, herself?" Upon hearing this, Sasuke's eyes widened, impressed.

Sakura nodded. "Yep." She blushed, embarrassed. She didn't want to brag. "I just couldn't sit around this whole month, could I?"

"You could have," Kakashi replied, winking, "but you didn't." He gestured to the Bunker. "You should get over there, Sasuke."

He nodded. "Right." He ascended a single step, then looked back. "I know I don't need it, but," he paused awkwardly. He wasn't used to asking for this kind of thing. "Wish me luck?"

Kakashi and Sakura wished him a simultaneous good luck, and then he was gone. Kakashi looked back at Sakura. "So how _is _training with the Hokage?"

She smiled bashfully. "Tiring…"

He laughed. "I figured as much." He began to climb the steps. "Well, I've got to go help patrol the stadium, so I'll see you after this first round."

"Bye, sensei."

After he left, Sakura immediately looked back towards the Bunker. She counted. Same number plus Sasuke. Naruto still wasn't here yet. She looked up at the sky. It was a little cloudy, but Sakura could still tell the sun was almost overhead. The Exam was going to start soon! Where was Naruto?

-

The atmosphere in the Bunker was…impossible to describe, Sasuke decided.

He was standing next to Shikamaru, leaning against the right wall, next to the railing. Opposite them, stood Sado and Sengi. Sengi leaned against the wall with his eyes closed, but Sado stood up straight, arms crossed. On that same wall, a little farther down, stood Tatsuya. Gaara was standing at the middle of the railing, gazing down at the ground. Deadaru was standing against the rear wall, next to the stairs that lead to the fighting area. No one said anything.

Impossible to describe was pretty accurate…

The silence the group held together was beginning to get a little uncomfortable, even for Sasuke. He was actually debating whether to say something or not, when the sound of footsteps began to echo from the stairway. Everyone, except Gaara, looked over to them. They waited, and the footsteps became louder. _Step…step…step, step, step, step! _All of the genin seemed to be leaning towards the stairs!

Finally, a person appeared from them. It wasn't Naruto like Sasuke had been expecting, but rather, the exam proctor from the preliminaries. Everyone relaxed, as if his appearance had lifted a huge boulder from each of their shoulders. He eyed each of them, curious for a second, then cleared his throat.

"Alright," he said, authority in his voice. "You should remember me from last time. I'll be proctoring for this exam, also." He paused. "Listen up, cause I won't be repeatin' myself! The rules are still the same from before, that being there are no rules. Both combatants will fight until one either gives up or dies, that being said, however, I can step in and stop the match at any point I desire." He shifted the twig in his mouth to its opposite side. "Don't want too many casualties…" His eyes rested on Gaara's back for a second, then looked around the room. Suddenly, a look of confusion passed across his face.

"Wait… One, two, three..." he spun around, "…six, seven…? We're missing one? Where's Uzumaki Naruto?"

No one said anything. "He's not here yet…" Sasuke finally spoke.

The reactions he got were not what he was expecting. The proctor frowned, but the real surprises came from Sengi and Sado. They had both been so calm, but immediately after hearing this, they froze, and began to bare worried expressions. Sado had even unfolded his arms, and began looking around wildly. Sasuke didn't know a lot about Sengi, but he knew enough to think it weird that he would clench his fists, and began tapping his foot impatiently.

He eyed them suspiciously. Were they actually…mad that Naruto wasn't here?

The proctor had put one of his feet on the railing. "I'll be right back," he said, then pushed off, giving himself enough momentum to jump the whole length of the stadium. He landed on the Hokage's balcony, directly in front of Tsunade. She had been conversing with the Raikage, but immediately stopped short. "What is it?" she asked.

"My apologies, Lady Hokage, but it appears that one of the genin has yet to arrive."

"Who?"

"Uzumaki Naruto."

The first thing that could be heard was the Raikage _choking _on some of his water he had just sipped. He coughed, setting his cup down. "Sorry…" he said, wiping his mouth. "Must've swallowed it wrong…" he trailed off. "Anyway, what were you saying, proctor? One of the genin is missing?" He was now tapping on the arm of his chair nervously.

The proctor looked at him for a second before repeating to Tsunade, "Yes. Uzumaki Naruto is not here yet."

Tsunade glanced up into the sky. The sun was hidden behind a cloud, but it was directly overhead. It was time for the exam to start. She couldn't hold it off for one person, even if it was Naruto. She cleared her throat. "I have no choice…"

The Raikage leaned forward in his chair. He spoke up almost harshly. "Hold on, Tsunade!" He saw her expression, and then relaxed. "Now just wait a second," he repeated, much more calmly. "Let's not be too hasty here. This is Naruto we're talking about, and from what you've told me about him, he must have a _really _good reason for not being here yet." He paused, then slowly smiled. "He is in the _last_ match. How about we just carry on like normal, and he isn't here by his match, then we should disqualify him…" He looked into her eyes. "I mean, do you even really want to disqualify him?"

She looked into the Raikage's eyes for a long time, then replied. "No." The Raikage sighed as she looked toward the proctor. "We'll do it at the Raikage's suggestion. For now, it'll slide, but if he isn't here by the time his match starts, then I'll have to, unfortunately, disqualify him."

The proctor nodded, then jumped across the stadium again, straight into the Bunker. He landed flawlessly. "It has been decided," he said," that Naruto has until his match starts to arrive. If he doesn't, then he'll be disqualified."

Sasuke's eyes widened. _Damn_, he thought. _He should be here by now, though, so I guess the time limit's fair…_ He looked over to find Sado and Sengi sighing with relieve, and smiling uncontrollably. He raised an eyebrow, while the proctor raised an arm.

"Okay, now that that's out of the way, we can begin the first round of the Third Chunin Exam! Sengi and Gaara, follow me." The proctor, literally, back flipped out of the Bunker, and landed in the middle of the stadium. Sengi jumped out after him, and even though Gaara had been closer to the rail then either of them, he turned around, and walked to, and down the stairs.

Even though Naruto's whereabouts were on Sasuke's mind, he couldn't help but think about this match, and who was going to win.

-

Someone jumping the length of the stadium itself was enough to get Sakura's attention. She had seen the proctor from the preliminaries jump straight from the Bunker to the Balcony in a quick second. In fact, if it hadn't been for her training with Tsunade, she probably wouldn't have seen him at all. She glanced over at Ino and Chouji, who were both caught up in a joke. She had been right. The proctor had moved so fast they hadn't even sensed him.

She strained her eyes, and saw the proctor talking to both of the Kages. After a moment, though, he jumped back across the stadium and into the Bunker. The Bunker made her think of Naruto. She looked close, but still only counted seven genin. The sight frightened her. Naruto still wasn't there yet.

She lowered her eyes, staring down at the floor. She couldn't help but feel a little anxious. Suddenly, the proctor flipped out of the Bunker, and landed in the middle of the stadium. Sengi was right behind him. He said something to Sengi, then motioned towards the Hokage. Tsunade stood proudly, and ordered for everyone to quiet down.

"Thank you. Now, first and foremost, I would like to thank each and every one of you for blessing Konoha with your presence. We are proud to, once again, play host to the Chunin Exams! We welcome you to Third and Final Exam, where only the best of the best stand waiting!" A roar of applause followed. "This is it! Are you all ready!?" More applause and yells of excitement.

Sakura didn't even know she was clapping. What was this feeling in the bottom of her stomach? What was this buzzing in the back of her mind? Something wasn't right. She looked into the Bunker again. She still didn't see Naruto, but maybe she was over exaggerating. Maybe he was there, but she just couldn't see him. She could only hope.

Gaara suddenly emerged from a mouth in the wall below the Bunker. He made his way out onto the field, and Sakura immediately felt a little sorry for him when she began to hear boos from the crowd. He and Sengi were facing each other now, and Sakura could almost see the sparks between their eyes. True, she was a little stronger now, but those two were still on a whole other level.

The proctor said something to the both of them, before raising his hand. "Without further ado, let the first match… Begin!" He jumped away from them, but neither moved a muscle.

Sakura watched, interested, but only half interested. Naruto was on her mind, and she couldn't get him off. He wasn't here yet. Why? Why wasn't Naruto, the one person she could think of that wouldn't miss something like this for the world, not be here yet? She began to shake as she assumed the worst. What if something had happened to him? After all, she had overheard from Jiraiya that he was in danger. What if that danger finally caught up with him?

She looked toward her feet again, feeling a tear escape her eye. She watched as it hit the pavement below her. She was glad Ino didn't notice. She wasn't sure how'd she explain herself.

Only one thing was on her mind. She thought Sasuke's too. Maybe even Kakashi was thinking about it. Maybe more then just them.

Where was Naruto?

**End of Chapter.**

**A/N: Again, sorry for this inconvenience. I didn't want to overwhelm you with so much at one time, plus, this way, I can update faster. Anyway, thanks for your time, hope you enjoyed the chapter (even if you were slightly disappointed…) and I'll see you next time at the real battle. **

**Next Chapter:**

**Of Sand and Lightning**


	17. Of Sand and Lightning

**A/N: Here. This is it. I thought about this fight for a long time, and even though I knew who would win, I still wanted to try to make it an interesting fight. I hope you enjoy!**

**Chapter 17**

**Of Sand and Lightning**

Putting it bluntly, Sengi was nervous.

He'd always had a little problem with crowds, and here he was, standing in the middle of a stadium filled with an abnormal amount of people. Should he be surprised? Probably not, but his stomach was still buzzing, and he felt a little sick. To top it off, too, Naruto still hadn't arrived, which was weird in itself. He may not know Naruto that well, but he did know he should've been here a long time ago. He guessed it was just another boulder on his back… A big one.

Gaara looked about as calm as ever. He definitely was _not _one of those people who minded large crowds. He stood about six feet away, arms crossed, just staring at Sengi. The proctor had already started the match and backed away. He looked confused as to why no one was doing anything. Sengi frowned. He had never been one to make an opening move. He always let his opponent go first, but it looked like Gaara liked to do the same. The crowd was becoming very impatient, very quickly… _Damn…_ He finally thought.

He had just taken a step when Gaara suddenly said, "I know."

Sengi stopped immediately, dropping into a defensive stance, and raising an eyebrow. Gaara hadn't moved a muscle; he just kept staring at Sengi with those eyes of his. "What?" Sengi finally asked.

Gaara narrowed his eyes, and glanced backwards. The proctor was out of earshot. He looked back towards Sengi. "I know what you're trying to do." His voice was calm.

Sengi shot him a confused look. "What're you talking about?"

Gaara still hadn't moved. "I can see it in your eyes. Maybe not on the surface, but if I just look a little deeper… I can see it."

Sengi fumed, becoming impatient. "See what? You're not making any sense!"

"Your motive!" Gaara said forcefully. Sengi flinched, he couldn't help it. "The true reason to your being here. Why you entered these exams, why you did anything you did. You're eyes give away everything, even with your monster as their last protection." He paused. "They aren't trained like mine and Naruto's." Another beat. "You want Naruto, but you just don't want to fight him, you want to annihilate him." Then, a little softer, "I know the feeling all too well…"

Sengi was frozen. _What? When did he…? How did he…?! Damn! He knows about _me_, and he even found out about…_

He was about to say something, but Gaara spoke up again. "I won't let you. Naruto's the one who saved me…" He suddenly looked up with eyes as cold as ice.

Sengi just barely saw it! Something was whizzing right at him! He moved his head just in time to see a cork fly right by. Looking back at Gaara, he saw sand oozing out of the giant gourd on his back. It was circling around him. Gaara's now cruel eyes locked with his own. "…And if defeating you is all I can do to repay him…" A fairly large group of sand was gathering by his right shoulder. "…Then I will gladly defeat you! For his sake!"

_Whoosh! _The sand shot at him in a horizontal column. It was all Sengi could do to just doge it was so fast! He jumped to his left, but no sooner had he landed, the sand had rearranged itself, and shot at him again. _Shit! _He thought desperately. He dodged again, and again, and again! He was skimming across the ground like a rock skips across water. He couldn't believe how fast the sand was!

After one dodge, he landed, and jumped high into the air. He had expected the sand to follow him, but it didn't. Instead it began to swarm back to Gaara's feet. Gaara, himself, was looking straight up at him. Sengi frowned. Had Gaara done that on purpose? Nevertheless, he reached into his weapon pouch and three shrunken down at his opponent. Gaara didn't even flinch. Sengi's sprits rose. Washe going to hit him?!

_Plump! _A barrier of sand brought itself in front of Gaara at the last second. All three shuriken pounded against it, and sunk straight into it. Gone. Sengi frowned as gravity brought him back to the ground. He was out of breath, but determined. He eyed Gaara. _So_, he thought. _Sand manipulation, huh? But he didn't even move through all of that… Can he really control the sand with just mind and some chakra…? _Only one way to find out. Sengi began to run in a circle around Gaara, ending up behind him. In one swift movement, he rushed at his back, and punched as hard as he could.

He didn't hit Gaara's back, or even his gourd. He just hit a mound of squishy sand that had come up just in time. Sengi cursed. _There's no way he could've reacted that quickly! Does the sand really come to his protection by itself…?_

From Gaara's front, an arc of sand shot from over his head. Sengi jumped back just in time as the sand collided with the very ground he had once stood on. He slid backwards when he landed. _Damn it! _He thought angrily. _Okay, close combat is _out _of the question!_

Gaara was still staring at him. "Give up," he said simply. "I won't let you defeat me. Naruto won't even have to worry about you."

Sengi smirked. "There's no way, I'm giving up!" He replied, then hesitantly, "And I still don't know what you're talking about…"

Gaara frowned, and another column of sand sped past him. Sengi sidestepped just in time, doing three quick hand signs while doing so. He did a quick spin, and pointed his middle and index fingers right a Gaara. "Ninja Art…" He concentrated, and shot a bolt of lightning from his two fingers, both heading in Gaara's direction. "Lightning Strike!"

Again, Gaara didn't even flinch, and again, the sand came to his protection; it took the full heat of the lightning attack, and shrunk back to Gaara's feet. Gaara hadn't even uncrossed his arms. Sengi sighed. _It was worth a try. _He pulled two kunai from his holster, and charged. This time, Gaara didn't wait for the attack. Sand shot from his feet, wavering and twisting like a web. Sengi shuffled his feet, trying his best to doge the webs of sand. Two steps forward, one back, another forward, a quick skip to the left, another, one more back step, three more forward, all the while slicing at the sand with his kunai.

He sliced at the webs again, and jumped back, throwing his kunai at Gaara. He landed a good distance away, and watched while the sand protected Gaara once again. He quickly did the same three signs from before, and held out his two fingers. "Ninja Art: Lightning Strike!" He jumped to the left as he shot. The lightning was fast; it cut through the air like a bullet, but only to collide with Gaara's sand once more. He fumed. _I can't keep doing this! _He eyed the shifting sand at Gaara's feet. _There's got to be a way around that!_

_**There is!**_

Sengi's eyes widened, and he smirked. Dropping on one knee, he began to do hand signs in quick succession. He knew Gaara saw him, and he was aware of the sand that was crawling toward him at that moment, but he couldn't stop. _Just…a couple more!_ He finished when the sand was within touching distance! He slammed his hand on the ground, and, instantly, a boom of thunder sound overhead. The sand stopped short, and backed away as if it was frightened.

Another boom of thunder sounded above them, and Gaara looked up to find the sky covered with dark clouds. He was confused. It was only slightly cloudy just a moment ago… He looked back at Sengi, who was staring at the ground, as if the thunder didn't exist. _Did he do this…? _Suddenly, a crack of lightning appeared in the sky, followed by a round of thunder. The crowd, although frightened, was in complete astonishment.

Some more lightning cracked in the sky, this time more forcefully. Were they becoming bigger? The thunder also seemed to be growing louder, if that was possible. Suddenly, the unthinkable happened. A lightning bolt pierced the ground on Sengi's left. It couldn't have been more then a foot away! Another lightning bolt! This time on his right side. Gaara frowned. What was going on?

The third bolt hit stronger and faster then the other two, but this time, it was Sengi it hit. The bolt hit straight into his head, and Gaara saw Sengi actually drop to his knees from the impact. He was so shocked, he actually took a step back. There were screams from the crowd, and yells from the Bunker. Slowly though, the thunder began to rumble more softly, and there was no trace of any more lightning. Soon, they both ceased, but the foreboding clouds remained.

Sengi slowly stood back up, much to Gaara's and the crowd's astonishment. It was soon followed by cheers though; some people even whistled. Gaara frowned again. He looked at Sengi, who was still looking at the ground. Slowly, though, he lifted his head, and looked at Gaara. His eyes seemed a tad harsher, but perhaps the most astonishing thing was that they both had turned a light green. There was no trace of a pupil left.

It happened in a flash! Sengi raised his middle and index fingers and shot a bolt of lightning from them. It hit Gaara's sand shield, and Sengi began to move. He was circling around Gaara. He raised two fingers. _Snap! _Lightning cracked, but it was blocked. Still circling, Sengi raised his fingers again. _Crack! _Lightning snapped again, but Gaara's sand took the impact.

Sengi stopped short, and rushed at Gaara headstrong. Gaara shot some sand at him, but he dodged it easily. Was he faster then before? Once he got close enough, he punched at Gaara, but his shield blocked it. Sengi back flipped, and shot three streaks of lightning at Gaara while he was still in the air. Since his shield was already up, Gaara had no problem blocking the attacks. Sengi landed, but he wasn't even out of breath. Gaara knew something was off. _Why is he suddenly so much faster? _He thought. _And why can he shoot that lightning faster then usual, and in quicker succession? _His thought about the strange event that just happened. Could that be it?

Sengi pulled a kunai from his holster, and twirled it in his hand for a second. He threw it suddenly, straight at Gaara's chest. Gaara just stood there. No need to worry. His sand shield would get it. The kunai was halfway from him, but his sand shield had barely moved. _What? _He suddenly thought. There was no doubt his shield was crawling to his aid, but it was reacting very slowly. The kunai was almost to him. He uncrossed his arms, and used his right one to motion the sand up himself, so it would take the attack. After a moment, he let it drop to his feet, to reveal a smirking Sengi.

Gaara frowned, but he didn't have time to do anything else. Sengi had already shot another bolt of lightning at him. Gaara waited a beat for his sand to protect him, but like before, it barely reacted. He brought it up himself, and took the impact. _What's going on? _He thought, letting the sand drop. _It's like it wants to protect me, but just…can't._

He sensed more lightning, and once he looked up, found out he was correct. He was about to bring up his shield, but thought it'd just be easier to dodge completely. He jumped to the left quickly, barely avoiding the lightning. He looked around realizing Sengi was nowhere to be found. His eyes widened, and he stepped back, avoiding a bolt that rained down from above. He checked, and sure enough, there was Sengi. He was flipping through the air, and shot down more lightning bolts from above. Gaara raised his shield above him, and let it take all the hits.

Was it becoming heavier? His arms began to shake, and he tried his best to hold it up, but he couldn't. It dropped to the ground by itself; he dropped his arms as well. He sensed a presence in front of him. His eyes widened in shock, realizing his mistake. Sengi was right above, and he had just lowered his defense. Sengi brought his leg back, and swung, hitting Gaara in his side, and knocking him off his feet. Sengi landed while Gaara went flying. His sand crawled after him, doing its best to cushion his fall.

Sengi took a deep breath, and got into a stance. He was smirking. _So it worked after all…_ He suddenly gasped when he saw Gaara get up. Where he had hit him, there was nothing but crumbling, cracked sand. _What?! _The sand was crumbling from his body, but he seemed to be unharmed. _But how…?_

Gaara stood there; he looked… tired? "How about we both do a little explaining…?" He suggested.

Sengi looked at him for a second. "Okay, fine… You first."

Gaara took a deep breath. "As you've probably figured out, I don't have ordinary sand. It comes to my protection of its own accord. I don't control it." He paused and gestured to the crumbling sand on his side. "This is my sand armor. I can coat myself in sand, and wear as a last ditch defensive action. That attack, although well thought out, had no effect."

Sengi fumed. _Damn! Are you serious? He can _wear _the sand? I used so much chakra with all that! _"Alright," he replied. "Guess it's my turn." He held out his two fingers. "I use these two fingers to shoot out lightning for my jutsu. Usually I have to use hand signs to stimulate my chakra and turn it into electricity, but when I use that technique-" he pointed toward the clouds, "-the lightning they shoot down stimulates my chakra for me, so I don't have to use hand signs. I can use it as many times as I want, as long as my chakra allows it." He took a breath, finishing.

Gaara frowned. _So that's it. No wonder he could suddenly use that move so much, and with no delay… _"Interesting…" Gaara said. He took another deep breath. That was just the amount of time he had needed. "I still won't let you win, though." He suddenly thrust his arm into the air. Sengi was confused for a moment, and then it hit him. Literally.

A mound of hard sand had come up from below him, and collided with his chin, knocking him into the air. _Bastard! _Sengi thought, the wind knocked out of him. _He used that little conversation as a ruse! The whole time he was slipping this sand under me! _ He flipped in the air, and landed on his feet, immediately dropping into a stance. He sensed movement to his left. He looked, but was too late to dodge the sand that socked him in the stomach. It hit him so hard he coughed up blood. It launched him high into the air and he twisted around in pain.

He saw sand rising from the ground on both his sides. _Shit! _He threw out his middle and index fingers on _both_ his hands and shot lightning ion both directions. They hit the sand, and slowed down enough for him to drop to the ground harmlessly. As soon as he landed, he rushed Gaara again. He had to stop this flow while he had a chance. He shot some lightning, but Gaara actually _sidestepped! _Dodging more sand, he shot more lightning, but Gaara blocked it this time.

He was so close! He rolled under some sand that Gaara shot at him, and landed right in front of Gaara. He flipped himself though, and used his hands to circle himself around Gaara. After that, he flipped himself back to his feet, and found himself back to back to Gaara. He twisted his upper body, fingers aimed towards Gaara's right shoulder. At the same time, Gaara twisted himself also, moving his shoulder over some, doing his best to avoid the blast!

_CRACK! _

It was perhaps the loudest lightning Sengi had shot. And it had hit Gaara square in his shoulder. They both stood there for a moment, each in their awkward positions. Sengi watched as the cracked sand fell from the point at Gaara's shoulder, but he noticed bits of red mixed with it. He smiled. _I knew it. Even that armor couldn't protect him at this range! _

The sand that had been dancing wildly in the air now lay still on the ground, but Gaara hadn't moved. Sengi finally twisted himself back around, and jumped back from Gaara. He was suddenly out of breath. Gaara was just staring open-mouthed at the ground. He took a step forward, then another. More sand and blood was spilling from his wound. He lifted his other hand to it, and brought it in front of his face. He saw it. The blood on his hand was clearly visible. He stared wide eyed. He took another step forward, his whole body shaking. Sengi didn't quite know what to make of it.

The crowd was eerily quiet. Everyone in the stadium was speechless, all on the edge of there seats. Suddenly, a sound pierced through the air, but it didn't come from the stands. Gaara was screaming at the top of the lungs. He was crouched over, holding his hands to his head. The blood was still sliding out of his wound. Then, all at once, he stopped. He stood up, and turned around, facing Sengi again. He seemed calm now, despite his wound.

The proctor stepped forward. "Gaara, your wound looks serious. Do you wish to withdraw?"

"Gaara's reply was short and simple. "No."

_Boom! _

Sengi looked around. _What was that?! _A strip of sand came out of nowhere, and wrapped around his ankles, locking them together. _What? _He looked, and saw Gaara was holding the other end. He swung up, and Sengi was flung upwards. Gaara waited to its peak, then swung down, slamming Sengi into the hard earth. Sengi hit hard, coughing up blood. Suddenly, Gaara swung up again, bringing Sengi slamming into the earth once more by the end of it. This time, Sengi hit so hard he thought he had bruised some ribs.

Gaara swung up a third time, but Sengi was tired of it. In midair, he aimed carefully, and shot a bolt of lightning straight through the sand that held him; it snapped in two, and he freed himself. He put one hand up to his ribs while he flipped through the air. Yep, at least three had been bruised. He was calculating his counter attack, but that wasn't going anywhere. Right before he landed, a huge mound of sand came from around him, and nailed him in his side. It was so strong it slammed him into the nearby wall of the stadium.

His back hit the hard surface with full force, and he yelled in pain. He fell to the ground on all fours, and began crawling to the middle of the stadium. _If I…could…just… _Too late. Sand was already circling around him. He had no time to react as it all enveloped him at one time. He was now floating in midair; everything but his head had been cocooned in sand. He couldn't move. He was able to see Gaara though. He had both his arms outstretched, holding him there. He was smiling, and it made Sengi angry.

"Sand Coffin." Gaara spoke slowly. He was tired, and just about out of chakra. "Proctor." The proctor looked at him. "At this point, I can kill him in one more move. This is over…" He was beginning to pant. He clearly couldn't hold the Coffin much longer.

The proctor was nodding. "I see…" Sengi was shocked, confused, angry and upset all at once! There had to be something he could do! He knew there was! But what? He glanced up at the Raikage on the balcony. He looked into his eyes. They said, _"Do something, Sengi! I know you can! Think back to your training!" _Sengi closed his eyes.

The proctor seemed to be thinking, then spoke up loudly, so the whole stadium could hear. "As Gaara of the Sand has subdued his opponent in a hold that he cannot break free of, and since his life can now be ended at any moment, I declare…"

Rumbling. The cocoon of sand was rumbling. It was slowly growing cracks, and much to Gaara's astonishment, it was becoming harder to hold on to. Suddenly, in a flash of light, the cocoon broke, scattering sand in every direction! In its place was a lone Sengi, whose body was literally emitting electricity. He was breathing heavily, and slouched over in pain, but he was free. He had broken out of the Sand Coffin. The electricity on his body faded, and he went down on one knee.

Gaara did the same. He had used the last bit of his chakra holding up the coffin. They were both exhausted. The proctor looked from one to the other. "Since… Since Sengi has broken out of the Coffin, the match is still on!" Cheers and yells and whistles from the crowd filled the air. They truly loved this.

Gaara, panting, looked Sengi. He could tell he was no better off then he was. His shoulder still hurt, and actually felt like it was numb. What was he going to do? To protect Naruto, he had to defeat Sengi at any cost. He thought long and hard for a moment, and then pulled himself to his feet. Sengi, seeing Gaara stand up, stood up as well. He wasn't about to be beaten.

Gaara made a single hand sign, and swallowed. He knew he would get scolded, and he knew he would probably be disqualified, but he didn't care. Not now. He began to yell, gathering what little chakra he had left. This was it!

_**And it's about time!**_

-

As soon as Gaara started yelling, Sengi didn't quite know what to make of it, but what he saw shocked him. Gaara was…_changing. _The top of his gourd had slowly morphed into a type of skin made of sand, and had crawled down Gaara's right arm. It had also attached to his face, covering half of it. The arm resembled something like a giant claw. It looked menacing. The bottom of the gourd had changed into a tail made of the skin. Gaara's eye that was covered in the skin was a deep yellow. He looked like a monster.

Sengi took a step back. _What…in the…_

-

Up on the balcony, Tsunade couldn't believe what she was seeing. Gaara had just transformed half of his body into the Shukaku! She stood up. "This match has gone to far!" She stated. Motioning two ninjas beside her, she made to jump down into the stadium, but someone grabbed her arm. It was the Raikage.

"Now, Tsunade," he said calmly, still in his seat. "Let's wait a little bit. I assure you, Sengi is in no danger."

Tsunade turned on him. "It's not him I'm worried about, Rykanse." She gestured around. "There are innocent people here! I cannot let this match continue! I should've opposed it from the start!"

The Raikage pulled her back into her seat, and looked into her eyes. "I assure you, as long as Sengi is down there, no harm will come to anyone in this stadium… That is, if you allow him to…" He searched for the word. "Grow."

Tsunade looked into the Raikage's eyes for a moment longer, then looked away. She didn't stand up. "Fine…" she finally said. "But it better not get out of hand…"

The Raikage smiled, and stood up. "You have my word, Tsunade." He pulled a scroll from inside his sleeve, and unrolled it…

-

Sengi still didn't quite know what to make of Gaara. He hadn't moved since he had transformed, but didn't stop Sengi from being cautious.

"_Sengi."_ A voice suddenly spoke in his head. Was it… No, wasn't _**him**_. Then who? _"Sengi, it's me the Raikage."_

_Oh… Yes, what is it, Raikage?_

"_Gaara has just unleashed the Shukaku! Tsunade has given me permission to tell youthat you can counter him freely."_

_Really?_

"_Yes. Don't overdue it though! Good luck, my boy."_

The Raikage's presence faded, and Sengi closed his eyes. He searched his mind, and found what he was looking for.

_**Yes?**_

_I need some chakra._

_**Pathetic… Fine, but only because you are fighting Shukaku. Under any other circumstance, I would say no.**_

_I know. Thank you, Sanbi._

_**Under one condition, though. I get to help. Open your mind for the rest of this battle. **_

_Fine. Just hurry up!_

_**Together, then!**_

Sengi opened his eyes. His light green eyes were now dark green, and shrunk to the size of dimes. He still had no pupils. It was a wonder he could see at all. Slowly, a demonic aura filled the stadium. Green chakra began to swarm around Sengi, and he hunched over. His hair became even more unruly, and his teeth turned sharp. He also grew small, but sharp claws on his hands. _Feels good, _he finally decided.

_**Yes! Now let's go! **_

Sengi rushed forward with blinding speed. He appeared behind Gaara in a flash, and hit him in the back. His punch connected, and he sent Gaara into the air. He composed himself, snarled, and jumped after him. Unfortunately, Gaara had twisted himself in the air, and was ready for him. He shot his claw arm ward, and it actually extended itself to meet Sengi in the air. It then extended itself further, slamming Sengi into the ground.

_**Think for a second, boy! You're fighting the Shukaku here, not some low rate ninja!**_

_I know, sorry._

Sengi managed to throw the arm off him, and grip it. Using it, he spun in place, swinging Gaara around, and finally letting go. Gaara slammed into a stadium wall, but dropped down on his feet. He yelled a demonic yell, and the other part of his gourd morphed, crawling down his other arm. Now he had two. He shot them both forward immediately; they extended, and claws outstretched, were shooting right towards Sengi. Sengi ducked, and ran to Gaara's side. Using his speed, he charged forward, ready to deal some damage! Both arms were out of reach!

_Wham! _He forgot about Gaara's tail. It smacked him hard across the face, and he was sent skimming across the ground. He caught himself though, and ceased his momentum. Gaara had retracted his arms, turned around, and thrust them forward again, this time faster then before. It was all Sengi could do to dodge. _Damn! _He crawled, ducked, rolled, shuffled, lined and did everything possible to avoid the deadly arms. Finally, he caught one. Using all his strength, he pulled Gaara toward him, let go of the arm, wound back, and punch Gaara square in the face. Gaara's acceleration had only worsened it.

He was sent flying backwards, but flipped and caught himself. He staggered though. At least the punch did something. Sengi fumed. _Damn it! What does it take? _

_**Shukaku always was the most stubborn one…**_

_I've got an idea. Hold on! _

Sengi rushed forward with full speed, but right before re reached Gaara, he jumped in the air, and flipped behind him. Still in the air, he shot a lightning bolt at Gaara's exposed back. It hit, but did nothing but leave a mark. _Useless! _He landed, but couldn't so anything before Gaara's tail smacked him in the face again.

He landed, and wiped the blood from his face and lip. He was about done. Even with the added Bijuu chakra, he was exhausted. _We've got to end this fast. _

_**Agreed. Focus all of my chakra and what you've got left to your legs and arms. We'll end this here! **_

Sengi did, and waited. Gaara yelled again, and shot his arms out again. Sengi was getting ready to dodge, but Sanbi yelled, _**Wait! This is our chance! Just hold on…**_ Sengi waited. The claw arms were almost upon him. It would surely be his death. He looked for it, and right before they hit him, he barely sidestepped, and hopped up on the closest one. Once on top, he ran! With blinding speed, he ran the length of the extended arm. "Gaara!" he yelled. Somehow, it added to his strength. There was nothing Gaara could do when he finally reach him. Using all his strength, Sengi, kicked Gaara under his chin, and sent him and his arms into the air. Sengi had barely touched ground before he lifted off again. He appeared right above Gaara.

Face to face.

He looked exhausted, and definitely in pain. With one defining yell, Sengi slammed his fists into Gaara's chest, and sent him straight into the earth like a bullet. Dust filled the stadium, and everyone held their breath, waiting to see!

The dust cleared. Gaara was lying in a fairly large crater. His sand skin had vanished, and he lay unmoving except for the rise and fall of his chest. He looked as if he was passed out, but his eyes were open. Sengi was standing not to far away. He was hunched over, the green chakra and the demonic aura gone as well. His eyes and his other features had returned to normal.

The proctor stepped forward, speechless. Finally, he said, "The winner is… Sengi!" Roars from the crowd! Sengi smiled and gave a small wave before collapsing on all fours. He was breathing heavily. He and Gaara were both completely empty.

Up on the balcony, the Raikage sighed a sigh of relief, then smiled at Tsunade. "See? There was nothing to worry about."

Tsunade frowned at him. "I guess not…"

The stadium was still lit up with excitement as medics rushed out to get Sengi and Gaara. It had been an explosive battle, and they both needed to be treated. The medics put Gaara on a stretcher, and led him tot eh medical wing, two medics supporting Sengi, and following close behind.

They checked them into the wing, and treated them quickly. They told them to rest, and then left, leaving some chunin to guard them. They lay in beds opposite each other. Sengi was ready to drift off to sleep, but didn't trust Gaara enough to do so.

The door suddenly opened, and Baki, Gaara's sensei entered. He walked over to Gaara's bed.

"I don't know why you released the Shukaku," he said, "but you must have had a good reason, I suppose." He was smiling, then turned serious. "Don't do it again, though. I won't allow it! Now…" He pulled a series of scrolls from his pockets, and laid them out on Gaara's bed. "You fought hard, Gaara. You deserve to rest. I can keep it away with these scrolls. Please. Sleep."

Gaara remained silent. "I only went so far, Baki, because I had to protect a friend." Baki didn't say anything, but made a hand sign. Gaara took this as an invitation, and closed his eyes.

Sengi couldn't help but smile, but then stopped himself. He had to remember his objective. Naruto. Fight Naruto. That was all that mattered. Everyone else was just a warm-up. He closed his eyes, and the sleep finally became to much to ignore.

**End of Chapter.**

**A/N: Alright. I hope the fight came out as good as you hoped. I certainly enjoyed writing it. Sasuke's match is next. **

**Next Chapter:**

**An Unforgivable Price**


	18. An Unforgivable Price

**A/N: I certainly hope it was worth the wait. **

**Chapter 18**

**An Unforgivable Price**

As Sasuke watched Gaara being carried out of the stadium by the medics, he felt a small bead of sweat trickle down the side of his face. What had he just witnessed? Gaara, one of the strongest ninjas he knew, had just been defeated by a ninja he didn't even know. But now he did. Sengi had some power he wasn't letting people know about, some explosive power. What was that green chakra he had witnessed? And how many more lightning attacks did he have? Sasuke barely had any time to dwell on these facts before his name was called.

"The next match is about to begin, ladies and gentlemen." The proctor. "Would Sasuke Uchiha and Deadaru please come down here?"

Sasuke had planned on jumping over the rail, but noticed Deadaru taking the stairs. Sasuke hesitated, but joined him, taking the stairs just behind him. He thought this would be the perfect time to ask.

"Hey, Deadaru," he said. Both of them kept walking, but he knew he had Deadaru's attention. "Why are you here?" Sasuke swallowed. "Did Orochimaru send you?" He saw Deadaru freeze for a fraction of a second, but he kept walking.

He was silent for a moment before finally saying, "Why do you ask?" A pause. "…Sasuke Uchiha…?"

Sasuke kept walking, keeping right at Deadaru's heels. "It's just a feeling I have. I know he wants me to come to the Sound Village, and since you're the only one from the Sound that made it this far, I figured he had sent you."

Deadaru looked over his shoulder at Sasuke, and said, "It's true, I do come from the Sound, and even though I'm the only Sound ninja left in the exams, I assure you I have not come to kidnap you or anything."

He looked forward again, and Sasuke raised an eyebrow. He suddenly saw light at the bottom of the stairs, and they emerged into the stadium. The crowd roared and cheered when they saw them, but Sasuke looked straight ahead. When they reached the proctor, they separated, standing about five feet from each other.

The proctor looked from one to the other. "You both know the rules, now let the second match…" he raised an arm, and swung it done as he finished with, "Begin!"

He jumped away, and Sasuke rushed forward, throwing a punch at Deadaru's face. Deadaru ducked, and side kicked at Sasuke's left flank. Sasuke used the arm he didn't punch with to block the hit. They pushed each other away, and jumped back. Each of them pulled a kunai from their holster and threw it. The met in the air, and clattered to the ground harmlessly. Sasuke cursed, and did his best to circle around Deadaru. Deadaru jumped in the air, though, and Sasuke quickly threw shuriken at him.

Deadaru used a kunai and blocked them all, but caught them before the fell back to the ground. He then threw them all at Sasuke, but he was too quick, and jumped to the side as they all embedded into the ground. Sasuke smirked, and went down on one knee, doing some hand signs. When he finished, he lifted a hand up to his mouth, and blew some fireballs and Deadaru. Deadaru did his best to twist himself in the air, but was only able to dodge three of them. The fourth hit him in his stomach. Sasuke herd him grunt in pain as it sent him back to the ground.

Sasuke waited in a stance as Deadaru slowly stood up, patting himself off. His shirt was a little torn, but for the most part, he looked unharmed. He smiled at Sasuke. "That was a good move. I wasn't expecting fireballs."

Sasuke was taken aback by the complement, and shifted out of his stance for a half second. Unfortunately, a half second was all Deadaru needed. He rushed forward with speed Sasuke wasn't ready for, and managed to sweep Sasuke off his feet. Before he hit the ground, though, Sasuke caught himself with his hand, and propelled himself away from his opponent. He took a deep breath when he landed, staring down Deadaru. Something was wrong. Why wasn't Deadaru taking him seriously? It was like he didn't care.

Sasuke pulled a kunai from his holster, and put the handle in his mouth. _If that's the case… I'll teach him to underestimate me! _He ran towards Deadaru, doing some hand signs. Deadaru was waiting, and threw a punch when Sasuke got close enough. Sasuke shuffled backwards though, and dodged the hit. He pulled his hands apart, and took the kunai from his mouth; he slammed it in the ground. Ducking under a kick from Deadaru, he blew a small stream of fire onto the kunai.

The kunai took flame immediately! It gained more heat, color, and began to grow larger, with the kunai acting as a burner. Sasuke smirked and jumped back just as a circle of fire erupted around Deadaru. The flames were intense, and danced all over the place. Deadaru was screaming in pain as the flames licked his body. After another moment, it was over, and the flames disappeared. The kunai had disintegrated into ash, and Deadaru was standing near it. His trench coat had been burned off completely, and Sasuke could see the burns on his arms and neck. His clothes, once purple, were now black.

He was standing very still, looking at the ground. Finally, he raised his head, and looked straight at Sasuke. His eyes made Sasuke flinch. They were filled with ferocious danger, and Sasuke took a step back.

"You!" he finally said. "I was _trying _to go easy on you, but _no!_" He began walking towards Sasuke. "You just had to piss me off!" There was something different about his voice. It wasn't calm like it had been before. Deadaru was definitely angry, and Sasuke was the only person he could vent his anger on.

_Swish! _Sasuke gasped. Deadaru had suddenly appeared behind him, and he knew what was coming. He grunted in pain as a two swift punches connected to his back. He stumbled forward, and did his best to maintain his balance. Once he caught himself, he turned around just in time to intercept a kick from his opponent. He threw the leg away from himself, and jumped back. He could feel his back pulsing. He swallowed the pain, though, and stood up straight. He wasn't about to show weakness.

_Swish! _Sasuke's eyes widened in surprise. Deadaru had suddenly appeared in front of him. He drew his fist back, and Sasuke did his best to dodge. No luck. Deadaru's fist connected with Sasuke's face, and Sasuke, himself, was sent spiraling through the air. He landed a short distance away, and tumbled from the impact. He stood up, breathing heavily. His face was bruised.

He coughed. _Damn! _He thought. _What's going on? He's a lot faster and stronger then before! What happened? _And then, it hit him! His eyes widened in astonishment. _No way… He's been holding back this whole time! _He smirked, making sure Deadaru could see it. _If that's the case… Maybe it's time _I_ stopped holding back!_

Sasuke drew a kunai, and rushed Deadaru. Deadaru wasn't surprised; in fact, he'd prepared himself for a frontal assault from Sasuke. He drew a kunai of his own, and met Sasuke halfway. Their weapons clashed, and clashed again. Deadaru smiled. Close combat was his specialty. In a moment, he'd overpower Sasuke.

He began to shuffle around Sasuke, still clashing kunai. _Clash! Clash! Step! Clash! _Deadaru was actually surprised. He was moving and attacking at a pretty good speed, and he was astonished Sasuke was keeping up. He found it increasingly difficult to get around Sasuke and out attack him. It was like Sasuke knew what he was trying to do… He gasped, and clashed again, this time holding his kunai against Sasuke's. He looked into Sasuke's eyes, and found he had been right.

Blood red eyes meant Sharingan.

They broke away from each other, both panting heavily. Deadaru spit at the ground. He knew it was bad. The Sharingan meant that Sasuke would be able to interpret his moves, and even copy his jutsu. He had thought that Sasuke was using it since the match had started, but he had been wrong. He was actually surprised. Sasuke had that much power without using his Sharingan?

There was no time to think about that! In a flash, Sasuke was behind Deadaru, and in a flash, he had kicked him. Deadaru had been fast enough to block it, but the force of the blow sent him into the air. Sasuke jumped up with him, and their kunai met in battle once again. Deadaru broke away, and tried to use Sasuke's collar to twist in the air; Sasuke saw what he was doing, and tried to use Deadaru's collar to twist in the opposite direction. Their efforts caused them both to spin towards the ground. Their kunai met once more before they realized that were spinning, violently, to their doom! They looked at each other for a second before letting go and separating right before hitting the ground. The crowd, which had been holding its breath through the whole event, immediately erupted into cheers and whistles.

Sasuke and Deadaru were staring each other down; Deadaru's deep, black eyes against Sasuke's crimson ones. The sparks that flashed in the space between them was almost freighting! Deadaru had planned to win a long time ago, but Sasuke's strength was something he had miscalculated. He hadn't expected Sasuke to be as strong as he was, nor had he been expected the Sharingan to be so formidable. He closed his eyes, and thought about what Orochimaru had told him.

"_Show Sasuke Uchiha the power he can have if he joins me, and all you'll have what you desire."_

Deadaru opened his eyes. Almost immediately a spike of chakra erupted in the stadium. A purple chakra was slowly swirling around Deadaru, and small, black marking began to crawl from his shoulder, to the end of his right arm. The purple chakra vanished as quickly as it had appeared, and everything was back to normal. Or so it seemed…

Deadaru took a step toward Sasuke, and held out his right arm. "You have one too, Sasuke Uchiha. A mark that bestows you with unimaginable power." Deadaru took a deep breath, and Sasuke got into a defensive stance. "It's…something of wonder, isn't it? I'm sure you've used it before, right? The power you gain from it…" He searched for the words. "…is unbelievable. But I'm sure that yours isn't as developed as mine is." He shook his right arm. "Allow me to show you… Allow me to show you the power of the curse mark!"

He rushed forward so quickly that Sasuke's Sharingan wasn't even ready. In a heartbeat, he had Sasuke by the throat. Sasuke was lifted off the ground, and was just held there by Deadaru. He tried to peel Deadaru's hand away, but he couldn't. He was losing air quickly; he had to do something. In a swift movement, he managed to kick Deadaru in the side, making him loosen his grip just enough so Sasuke could peel his hand away. As soon as he touched ground again, he jumped back.

Landing a safe distance away, he rubbed his now sore neck. _What the…? How could he…? What was that just now? I couldn't do anything! _

He suddenly sensed Deadaru behind him. He dropped to the ground, avoiding a punch, and then kicked, aiming for Deadaru's stomach. He caught Sasuke's kick with his right hand, however, and with surprising strength, threw him into the nearby stadium wall. Sasuke hit with a thud that knocked the wind out of him, and then fell to the ground. After a moment of recuperation, he raised himself to all fours, coughing up blood.

Deadaru was standing above him. "Do you see now?" he stated firmly. "Our power deference is undeniable." He leaned down. "But you still have a chance. Come to Orochimaru. He will make you stronger then you could ever dream of being!"

Sasuke clenched his fists, and gritted his teeth. He spoke softly. "How…many times do I have to tell you people…?" He quickly pulled a kunai from his holster, and slashed Deadaru's cheek. "FUCK NO!"

Deadaru stumbled backwards, cringing in pain and holding his cheek. Sasuke rested his back against the stadium wall, breathing heavily. _What should I do…? _He flipped one of his long bangs out of his face, and looked up at the sky. It was cloudless now, and the sun was casting it a lovely shade of blue. His eyes widened. _Worth a shot!_ He went down on one knee, and began to do hand signs.

Once Deadaru wiped the blood away, he looked back at Sasuke. _What's he doing? …Doesn't matter. I'll end this here!_ Before he had time to do anything, though, a loud noise filled the stadium. Actually, it was multiple noises. Deadaru stared in astonishment. The noises appeared to be coming from this ball of electricity that Sasuke was holding. Sasuke was breathing even heavier then before, but when he looked to meet Deadaru's eyes, his Sharingan were as intimidating as ever.

Sasuke rushed forward without hesitation. _Shit! _Deadaru thought. This wasn't going to be easy. He activated the curse mark again, and the markings spread down his left arm this time. _Should be enough! _He spread his legs, and held his arms out in front of him. Sasuke was near about there! _One…Two…_

"Chidori!"

_Three!_

With blinding speed, Deadaru actually _ducked _under the thrust Chidori, and grabbed Sasuke's arm at his elbow. In one move, he forced the arm and the Chidori up, and then backwards. Sasuke found himself falling backwards as well. His back slammed into the ground, and his Chidori impacted the earth beside him. It had happened in a second. It left Sasuke wide eyed, and weak, but Deadaru was smirking.

As if that wasn't enough, Deadaru followed up with a hard punch to Sasuke's face, and a kick to his ribs. Sasuke grunted in pain, and rolled away. Deadaru made no attempt to pursue him.

_How could this happen? _Sasuke thought meekly. _He stopped my Chidori like it was nothing! I don't understand! _He felt confused and distraught. He wasn't sure what to do next, but only one option seemed buyable. He had promised Kakashi, though; that was its one drawback. He shut his eyes tight, trying to sort it out. _Alright, fine… I'll save it for later… _

_I don't understand! _

He slowly rose to his feet, and faced Deadaru again. His side was killing him, but it was semi-bearable; it had to be. What he was about to do could very well disqualify him. _You told me only in an emergency. This is it. _He brought his hands together into a single hand sign. _I'll show you how capable I am!_

"_Foolish little brother…"_

Deadaru raised an eyebrow at the hand sign. "Give up. There's nothing left you can do!"

Sasuke smirked. "Release!"

_Woosh! _Deadaru felt it almost immediately; the sudden impact of chakra, an evil atmosphere. He knew it all to well. He watched as purple chakra began spiraling around Sasuke's body. From the back of his neck, markings began crawling down his arms and legs. Eventually, even half of his face was covered in them.

Sasuke looked straight into Deadaru's eyes. "Well? Is this what you were talking about?!"

-

"Ah!" The sudden burning sensation surprised Kakashi. He lifted up his sleeve to look at his old ANBU tattoo. It seemed normal, but when he put a finger up to it, he forced to jerk it away. It was steaming! He took a deep breath inside his mask, and stepped forward to look into the arena. He was in one of the lower sections because he had found a decent seat. Eventually, though, he had just decided to stand. He felt more comfortable that way.

Sure enough, Sasuke had done it. He saw the purple chakra, and narrowed his eyes. He had told Sasuke to use it only in an emergency. _He must really be struggling down there. _In their training, Kakashi had decided that the Curse Mark, if used properly, could be one of Sasuke's most effective weapons. But it was dangerous, and Kakashi didn't like to put his students in danger, if he could help it.

A lot of their training was spent on the Curse Mark, and Sasuke's ability to control it. In the end, Sasuke could manage, but _managing _it was about as far as it goes. Kakashi had decided that it was usable, but only in an emergency. He had developed a technique that could seal the mark by force if need be, but he had also modified the mark's current seal. Sasuke could use the mark, but if his resolve and will power should falter, the seal will automatically retract the mark by itself.

Kakashi had also made it so that his tattoo would begin burning if Sasuke used the curse mark. He observed Sasuke now, comfortable, but worried. He shook his head. _You better not let me down, Sasuke._

-

Deadaru felt a cool bead of sweat run down his cut cheek. Was this for real? Had Sasuke actually activated his curse mark? He took a step back. _This wasn't part of the plan!_

"What's the matter?" Deadaru froze. He forced himself to look into Sasuke's cold, red eyes. "Don't you still want to fight?"

Deadaru swallowed hard. "I'm not afraid, if that's what you're saying!"

"Liar!" _Swoosh! _Sasuke was behind him. Deadaru tried to move, but Sasuke grabbed his wrist. "I can tell!" Sasuke said harshly but softly, his Sharingan widening. "I can tell you're lying!"

Before Deadaru could respond, Sasuke spun him around, and tossed him into the air by his wrist. He jumped up with him, and before Deadaru could compose himself, Sasuke punched him into the ground. A loud bang erupted into the stadium. Sasuke landed not to far from the Deadaru, who was struggling to get up.

Sasuke looked at his marked hands, and smirked. There was definitely something about him that the curse mark changed. His manner was different, and his whole fighting style was a lot harsher. He liked it, or maybe the curse mark made him _think_ he liked it. Either way, he knew now he would have _no _problems.

Sensing that Deadaru had finally pulled himself to his feet, Sasuke turned to face him. He was holding his side, and breathing heavily, but at least he was up. Without warning, Deadaru rushed Sasuke with a kunai. He thrust at Sasuke, who avoided it easily. Deadaru stepped with his attack, so he immediately was able to thrust again. Sasuke had no trouble dodging this one either. It continued like this for six more attacks. Finally, Sasuke had had enough, and snatched the kunai out of his hand. Surprised Deadaru could only take Sasuke's stab to his left shoulder.

"Argh!" He howled before staggering backwards. He pulled the kunai out of his shoulder, and put his hand over the wound. He looked at Sasuke with pure hatred. "I'll get you for this!" He stood up shakily, but with a defining yell, purple chakra erected around him. The black markings spread to his whole body, not just his arms. After the stopped, the chakra faded, and Deadaru seemed to have a renewed energy. He pulled a single kunai from his holster. Sasuke narrowed his eyes, taking a kunai of his own. He knew that now, for sure, Deadaru was done playing around.

Deadaru took a step forward. Sasuke took a step forward. Deadaru took another step. Sasuke took another step. Again. Again. Again. Again!

_Shing! _

The first sound of the clashing kunai echoed through the stadium. Then, after a moment, they came a lot louder, and a lot quicker. _Shing!...Shing!...Shing! Shing! Shing! Shing! Shing! _The crowd was taken aback. Sasuke and Deadaru were moving so quickly, they seemed to be just wild blurs, even though they were standing still. They were blocking and attacking with a single kunai each.

_! _

Deadaru was determined to win! He slashed to the left! Blocked! He went for the face! Blocked! He blocked an attack to his right! He blocked to his lower left! He stabbed at Sasuke's stomach! Blocked!

_Dman! _He thought, blocking another attack. _I'm moving so quickly, but Sasuke's keeping up so easily! No doubt it's that Sharingan! _He slashed for Sasuke's face! Blocked! _I'm getting sick of this! _He stabbed again, but at the same time, quickly grabbed another kunai from his holster. Smirking, now he attacked, and right after, attacked again! Surprised, Sasuke barely managed to redirect the second kunai away from his leg. Smirking even harder, Deadaru attacked, then attacked, then attacked, then attacked! It was all Sasuke could do to just block!

Deadaru was already moving so fast, but now that he had a second kunai, Sasuke couldn't even get an attack in! He knew he wouldn't be able to keep this up for much longer! As if on cue, one of Deadaru's attacks got through, and Sasuke felt his leg get cut. Wincing, he didn't stop. He did his best to block all of the attacks, but now more were getting through. In between all the blocks he could manage, Sasuke felt himself get cut in a different place. _Block_! Cut on the side! _Block_! Slashed on the chin! _Block_! Scratched on the left arm! _Block_! _Block_! A quick stab in the forearm!

His Sharigan could only pick up so much of the slack, and Sasuke had passed that limit ages ago. He hated to admit it, but he just wanted to give up… _Shing! _Sasuke gasped. Deadaru had managed to knock his kunai completely out of his hand! Deadaru stepped back, preparing to attack. Sasuke wasn't ready!

Blood went everywhere.

-

Sakura gasped, and covered her mouth in horror. She quickly looked away. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Ino's usually well composed face break down in tears. Everyone began mumbling around them. Sakura blinked her own tears out of her eyes, and forced herself to look again. The image she saw was _not _pretty.

Sasuke, wide-eyed and open mouthed, was standing very still in the middle of the arena. Deadaru was no longer holding on to his two kunai, which were embedded so far into Sasuke's stomach, the ring on the end of the handles were barely visible. Sasuke suddenly staggered backwards, coughing up blood every step of the way. He went down on his knees, and quickly pulled the kunai out of his flesh. Blood immediately began oozing out of his wounds, which he did his best to cover. Sakura may have learned the basics of medical nin-jutsu, but from this distance, it was impossible for her to tell if Deadaru had hit any vital spots.

The proctor jumped to Sasuke's side, and knelt down beside him, inspecting the wounds. The look on his face wasn't a good one. The marks that had appeared on Sasuke's body began to retreat to the back of his neck, and Sasuke began to pant. Sakura didn't know what to do, but she knew she had to do something. As she made to stand up, Deadaru appeared in front of Sasuke.

-

The proctor rose to his feet. "Keep your distance! This match is ov-!" He didn't get to finish. In a flash, Deadaru had smacked him away with the back of his hand. He was also breathing heavily, but was smirking proudly.

"Sorry, you old fool," he said under his breath, "but I've got my own mission!" He knew he didn't have a lot of time, so he quickly began to do the hand signs. He spoke as he flashed between them. "Do you see, Sasuke? You've only experienced a fraction of the curse mark's power! Lord Orochimaru could open up so many more possibilities for you! This is your last chance… Don't make me take you by force."

He leaned in close to hear Sasuke's reply. He only had a couple more hand signs to go. Sasuke looked broken. He spoke softly. It was almost impossible to hear. "…never…"

Deadaru frowned as he finished the last hand sign. "Very well…" He slammed his hand into the ground as Konoha ninjas surrounded him and Sasuke. Purple chakra began to gather at his hand. "I suggest you all get back!" Deadaru jumped away, and slowly, a dome of black and purple chakra appeared where his hand had been moments before. It began to expand, enveloping the ground, and eventually, Sasuke into its swarm of energy.

It was now a fairly large dome. Deadaru gazed out it proudly. It didn't last long, though, as he quickly dodged a kunai that had been thrown at him. Kakashi landed, and threw another kunai. Deadaru blocked it, but was to slow to block Kakashi's fist. He hit the ground with a thud, and Kakashi placed his foot on his throat. He applied pressure.

"What…have…you…DONE!?" Deadaru coughed. He couldn't breath, let alone answer. Kakashi let off a little bit, and once Deadaru caught his breath, he began laughing. Kakashi fumed. "What's so damn funny!?"

Deadaru smirked. "Because I win." He gestured to his dome of chakra. "That's a technique that Orochimaru taught me, himself. Sasuke's not going anywhere!" He began laughing again, but was caught off by Kakashi.

"How do we dispel it?!" he asked angrily.

Deadaru smirked again. "You can't," he gasped. "Even I don't know how. Only Lord Orochimaru knows!" Kakashi narrowed his eyes and drew a kunai, but felt a hand on his shoulder. He glanced behind him, ready to curse out whoever it was, but found the Hokage, herself.

"Violence isn't always the answer, Kakashi. You should know that." Kakashi took a deep breath, and sheathed his kunai. He removed his foot, and two cloud ninjas restrained the young genin.

"What do we do?" Kakashi asked helplessly, inspecting the dome.

Tsunade scratched her chin. "I honestly have no idea..."

--

Blackness. An everlasting feeling of being alone. A chilling darkness.

This was all he felt, and he didn't know why. He looked around, or at least he thought he did. Everything was black. He could distinguish nothing. He tried to take a step forward, but the pain was too great. Perhaps what disturbed him the most, though, is that he couldn't even hear his own heartbeat. In a way, though, this did not surprise him.

He felt like he was going to die.

What had happened was a blur to him. He didn't know how he got here, or why he was here in the first place. He felt alone and cold. Was this how it was all going to end? He outstretched his arms, trying to feel if anything was in front of him, but he didn't feel anything, not even the air. Wherever he was, it was suffocating him.

He felt like he was going to die.

He shuffled forward, but the ground felt hollow and unfinished. His mind was buzzing with nothing. He knew he was about to go insane! There was an uncomfortable pain in his stomach, but it was slowly numbing. He was beginning to relax somehow. But that didn't change the fact:

He felt like he was going to die.

Through it all, though, he felt _something_. He didn't know what it was, but he knew it was helpful. It was building up inside him, around him, everywhere! A bright blue slowly made everything visible, not that there was anything to see, but it was something. He looked at his hands. They were _his_, not the _black's_. He saw the blue circling around him, and it comforted him. He felt a completely different feeling then before.

He felt like he could do anything!

Sasuke closed his eyes, and opened them again. His Sharigan was ready, he was ready, and his Limit was shining. His stomach was still in pain, but he didn't care. He _couldn't _care! He did the hand signs he wanted, and formed a Chidori. Now if nothing had been visible before, it was now! He charged forward, and once he saw the edge of wherever he was, he thrust his Chidori forward with everything he had!

With the added power of his Limit, nothing was impossible! He pushed as hard as he could, and at first nothing seemed to be happening. But slowly, his Sharigan saw the cracks. He smirked and yelled as loud as he could. The blue chakra surrounding him increased, and began dancing all over the place! _This is it!_

His Chidori became larger, a brighter blue, and, if possible, even became louder. The cracks were becoming bigger, and he could feel the wall weakening! This was his defining moment. He had to give it everything!

"AH!" he yelled louder then he ever had before. "Limitless Chidori!"

In a final crash, he broke through the wall. He was met with sunlight, and a cool breeze. His Chidori faded, and he glanced behind him to see a large black dome crumbling and fading into nothing. His blue chakra slowly vanished, and his Sharingan quickly found Deadaru being held up by two ninja.

He took a step forward, but the pain, all at once, returned to him. He collapsed to one knee as Kakashi came to his side.

"Sasuke! Are you alright?"

Sasuke didn't answer. He was exhausted, but he stayed dead-locked on Deadaru, who looked like a ghost.

"How!?" he screamed, the color draining from his face. "How did you! That's impossible! Lord Orochimaru said this was the ultimate technique! No one can defeat it!"

Sasuke spit at the ground. "Just shut up…" His Sharigan widened, and he gasped. "Is that was this technique takes if it's defeated…?"

Kakashi, who had his own Sharigan active, shook his head. "I see it too. It's an unforgivable price…" He covered his eye quickly.

Deadaru stared at them in panic. "What? What is it?!" He began to shake. He was suddenly becoming cold, and he was beginning to lose the feeling in his limbs. He couldn't think straight! What was this foreboding feeling that slammed through his system? "W-What's hapeening t-to me!" No one answered; they all seemed to understand.

"What's happening to me-!" He gave one last scream before becoming motionless in the arms of the ninja. He looked like a puppet.

One of them checked his pulse. "He's…dead…" Tsunade nodded grimly.

All of the Konoha ninja's stared in surprise. The two ninja began to carry Deadaru out of the arena, while the proctor knelt down beside Sasuke. "After you had gotten those wounds," he began, gesturing to the stab injuries, which were still bleeding slightly, "I was going to declare Deadaru the winner; you didn't look like you were in a position to continue... But then he attacked me, and all of _this_ happened…" He paused grimly, but then put on a smile. "I think you _deserve_ this victory, Sasuke."

Sasuke smiled. "Not to brag," he breathed, clearly exhausted, "but I think I deserve a victory, too." The proctor beamed, and Kakashi smiled under his mask. Tsunade nodded in approval, and then the proctor stood up.

"The winner is…Sasuke Uchiha!"

The crowd, which had been on the edge of there seats since Sasuke was stabbed, now stood up, and cheered. The stadium was filled with their excitement for Sasuke's victory.

A medical team rushed out onto the field with a stretcher. Sasuke was a little embarrassed to use it, but it looked so inviting, and he accepted it gratefully. They walked him off the field, already working on mending the wounds. The crowd was still cheering for him, even after he disappeared into the mouth of the tunnel.

Tsunade, clapping as well, walked over to Kakashi. "That was a tough match, and he _did_ deserve that victory…" She paused, looking at him. "But… was that the curse mark I saw…?" It was more of an accusation then a question.

Kakashi rubbed his neck sheepishly. "I'll explain myself later, I promise."

"Not to be rude," the proctor called to them. "But would you _please_ clear the arena?"

"Sorry," Tsunade replied, and she and Kakashi jumped to her balcony over-seeing the stadium.

A medical ninja appeared not to long after. "Lady Hokage, Sasuke Uchiha is going to be just fine. He'll make a full recovery in no time."

"Excellent," Tsunade replied. "Thanks you for the update."

The Raikage chuckled, grabbing Tsunade's and Kakashi's attention. "It's good to see that the young Uchiha will be alright."

"Yes…" Tsunade agreed. "Yes it is."

Kakashi narrowed his visible eye at the Raikage. He wasn't looking at Kakashi, but he said, "Do you have something to say?"

Kakashi flinched. How'd he know he was looking at him? "No…nothing at all." Kakashi suddenly felt like he was going to throw up.

Down on the stadium floor, the proctor was beaming.

"I hope you enjoyed that last match!" A round of applause from the crowd. "Well sit tight, because the next match is about to begin!"

**End of Chapter.**

**A/N: I hope the majority of you enjoyed this. It's my longest chapter yet, I think, so I guess I hope you **_**all **_**enjoyed it. Sit tight, next chapter, we get to see Shikamaru, himself, in action.**

**Next Chapter:**

**As a Man, I refuse **

.


	19. As a Man, I Refuse

**A/N: Not to long of a wait, I think. Enjoy.**

**Chapter 19**

**As a Man, I Refuse**

The outcome of Sasuke's battle didn't surprise Shikamaru; the length did. He couldn't believe that the fight had been as short as it was. He frowned at the thought of fighting in this arena once more, and he frowned even more when he glanced at his opponent again. Sado was tall, muscular, lean, but most of all, _confident. _He hadn't moved a muscle sense Sengi had begun his own fight, and he didn't look like he was planning to.

Shikamaru, on the other hand, couldn't stay still. He was constantly shifting his weight from side to side, tapping his fingers on the rail, or sighing. This was odd, even for him. He told himself it was nerves, which was probably true, but he also couldn't shake off the feeling about Naruto. He knew for a fact that Naruto wouldn't be late for this, so why wasn't he here yet? He couldn't help but think that something seriously _bad _had happened to him. He could only wonder how Sakura was taking it, knowing, after seeing her earlier, that her feelings about him had drastically changed.

He glanced at Sado again, and began to formulate a tentative strategy. He still wasn't entirely sure of what Sado was capable of, but after seeing Sengi's unveiling, he was preparing himself for anything. He had worked hard to develop more shadow techniques over the last month, and working with both Asuma and his father, he had had a fair amount of success… Even though Asuma had said he had been lazy about it, and his father ridiculed him for not even fully understanding his new abilities, but he didn't care. They were _usable_, at least to him.

Even so, he still didn't even know how to even _approach_ Sado, let alone use the techniques. He remembered Sado had beaten Rock Lee during the preliminaries by using just Taijutsu. Because of that, Shikamaru still had no idea what he could do in terms of regular jutsu. He didn't even know if his shadow techniques would even be effective at all.

He leaned against the rail and propped his head up with his hand. He gazed at a passing cloud, and sighed again. He didn't even _want_ to fight. Why did becoming a ninja always come down to _fighting_! He watched the cloud drift lazily through the sky, and took a slow blink.

_Maybe I should just give up… Would anyone even care? I sure wouldn't... _He thought about his father, though, and Asuma, Ino, Chouji, and Naruto. Knowing that there was no way he could bring himself to give up this time, he frowned. _Damn it…_

"Shikamaru Nara!" The proctor suddenly called. "You're match is about to begin. Head on down! You too, Sado!"

Shikamaru nodded, about-faced, and began to take the stairs. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Sado jump straight off the side. He sighed. _Why does everyone have to do that…? _

The stairs were much more relaxing. He wondered if they were designed to be that way. _Yeah, we could be walking to our doom…_ The image of Deadaru's lifeless body flashed through his mind… _Let's at least make the stairs nice…_

He reached the straightaway and immediately saw the light flooding into the semi-dark corridor. He passed through it, and emerged into the stadium. For a half second, he regarded the crater that Gaara had made when Sengi slammed him into the ground at the end of their match. The proctor and Sado were waiting for him at the center of the arena. He walked slowly; he liked to take his time.

When he finally did reach them, the proctor flashed him a smile. "You both remember the rules…" He paused. "Do your best to keep it clean match." Shikamaru and Sado each stood opposite one another. Sado easily stood a whole head above Shikamaru, though. He had his arms crossed, and didn't look worried at all. Shikamaru, however, was practically shaking. The proctor raised his hand. "And…"He flashed them both one last glance, swung his arm down, and jumped away. "Begin!"

Sado rushed forward immediately, drawing his fist back. Shikamaru, surprised, moved his upper body out of the way just in time. Sado twisted with the punch though, raising his leg for a roundhouse kick. Shikamaru managed to duck under it. Maybe Sado being so tall wasn't a bad thing after all. Still in his dodged position, Shikamaru took the opportunity to twist as well. He readied himself with the half spin, preparing to hit Sado with the back of his forearm. He connected, but Sado didn't even flinch.

Shikamaru stood there for a half second longer before jumping away from their tangled mess. He shook his arm, which stung a little from the impact. Had his attack really done nothing? Sado straightened himself up again, and faced Shikamaru.

"If that's all you have," he said in a deep, intimidating voice, "then you better give up right now."

Shikamaru seriously considered it for a moment before shaking his head. He glanced up at the almost cloudless sky, then at the ground separating him at Sado. He half smiled. _Perfect. _

He went quickly went down on one knee, and just as quickly did the appropriate hand sign. "Shadow Possession Jutsu!" From under him, a slim, black shadow swept across the surface; its target: Sado. Sado eyed it for a moment, then jumped backwards just as it was about to reach him. It followed him though, and as soon as he landed, he had to jump back again to avoid it. Shikamaru frowned as he thinned his shadow even more, staying in pursuit.

Sado frowned as well, and realizing this was going nowhere, he landed again, this time, a little harder. The ground immediately cracked in several places in his landing, and the shadow became contorted on the uneven ground. Shikamaru cursed, and called his shadow back. Sado watched it retreat and smiled. Once it returned, Shikamaru separated his hands and took a deep breath to compose himself.

"That was cute," Sado called, as he began to do hand signs. Shikamaru watched and raised an eyebrow. "Now it's my turn."

He finished, and clapped his hands together. "Earth Style…" He trailed off, and pressed both of his hands to the ground. Directly in front of him, a fairly large circle appeared in the ground. Shikamaru watched as it suddenly rose up into a solid ground column as high as Sado himself. Sado smirked, grabbed, and picked up the column with relative ease. After a quick hoist, he through it at Shikamaru!

Shikamaru went wide eyed with surprise. He wasn't expecting Sado to actually _throw _the thing! It was flying at him with freighting speed. He dived out of the way right as it passed. He tucked and rolled when he landed, but he found himself facing one of Sado's fists! He quickly rolled to the side, avoiding it. He had barely stood up when Sado was raining punch after punch on him. He barely dodged them all.

Sado pointed to the ground, and then to Shikamaru. Mid-point, another rock column shot from the ground diagonally, this time aiming for Shikamaru directly. He did a back flip, avoiding it, but as soon as he landed, another column shot at him from the right. He took a step back, and one shot from the left. He jumped back again, avoiding the attack, but his back hit the stadium wall. Sado appeared in front of him, fist drawn. Shikamaru quickly tilted his head to one side.

_Thud! _Sado's fist collided with the part of the wall that Shikamaru's head had been just moments before. Out of the corner of his eye, Shikamaru saw a small impact crater. He swallowed hard, and a cool bead of seat rolled down the side of his face. He was panting from all the dodging, but Sado didn't seem to be out of breath at all. He looked at Shikamaru, fist still resting against the wall.

"The differences in our skills are vast. Please give up. I don't want to cause you any unnecessary pain."

Another bead of sweat trickled down Shikamaru's face. He eyed the impact crater again, imagining his own head flattened. He seriously considered the offer. In the end, though, he sighed, inching his hand to his weapon holster. "I don't like to fight…. I'd much rather _plan_ a battle, and watch _other_ people do it… But I've got people who really believe in me. I'm not gonna' let them down like I did last time! As a man, I have no choice but to refuse your offer!" He brought up his hand with a kunai and slashed Sado's shoulder. Sado grunted and jumped away.

Shikamaru smiled. If only his father had heard him say that. He grabbed some shuriken, and threw them and the kunai at Sado. Sado stomped his foot and a slap of stone emerged from the ground in front of him, taking the weapons' wrath. He then hopped over it, snatching the thrown shuriken from the slab. Once he landed, he threw them back at Shikamaru. Shikamaru began to run, though, and they clashed against the stadium wall harmlessly. Shikamaru ran to the right, avoiding more rock columns along the way. He was trying to find a big enough gap in Sado's attacks to use another one of his shadow jutsu, but it wasn't working.

He suddenly gasped as an idea struck him, and he ran towards Sado. Another column shot out in front of him. It hit him hard in the stomach, stopping him in his tracks. He grunted in pain, and fell to the ground. Sado seemed pleased. Shikamaru was on all fours, holding on to his gut. He was coughing.

Sado took a step toward Shikamaru. "Those columns shoot out of the ground at about fifty miles an hour. If one hits you it hits you hard-"

Something black suddenly shot out from under Shikamaru! Sado growled and jumped back from the shadow. He landed, but the shadow stopped a couple of inches away. Shikamaru looked up at Sado. He had one eye closed in pain, and he was breathing heavily.

Sado yelled, "So you let yourself _take_ that hit so you could try to ensnare me with that shadow again!"

Shikamaru rose to his feet, but was still bent over with a hand on the ground. "Yep…figured me out…"

Sado fumed. "I won't-!"

Shikamaru suddenly straightened up, holding something in the air. Sado stopped talking and looked close. What was that…? Shikamaru straightened out his arm and snapped it as if he was cracking a whip. Sado narrowed his eyes, now, trying desperately to figure out what kind of weapon his opponent was holding…when suddenly…

_Wham! _

Something suddenly struck him across the side of his head. It knocked him off his feet, and sent him slamming into the earth. He scrambled back to his feet, holding the side of his face. "What the hell?!" His eyes suddenly widened in realization. Shikamaru wasn't holding a _normal_ weapon… He was holding his own _shadow_!

Sado spit at the ground, and pointed an accusing finger at Shikamaru. "What the hell? How can you hold the shadow as if it's an actual object?!"

Shikamaru smirked, all trace of pain gone. "If I'm touching my shadow, and I focus chakra from my hand directly into it, I can make tangible." He cracked it again, and it struck Sado on his left flank. Sado grunted and clutched his side instantly. "In the end," Shikamaru continued, "I can use it like a weapon." He was breathing heavily again. _Although… I do have to _constantly_ stream chakra into it, so it does take its toll… But _he_ doesn't have to know that._

Shikamaru charged at Sado, and cracked his shadow-whip a third time. Sado managed to avoid this one, and bent over to touch the ground. Almost immediately, a stalagmite of solid rock burst from the ground near Shikamaru, and aimed its pointed end right for him. Shikamaru cursed, and side-flipped over it; it just barely ribbed the back of his shirt. When he landed, he cracked his whip, positive that he would hit Sado this time.

For the most part, he was correct. Instead of dodging, Sado held up his arm at an angle so that the shadow-whip would wrap around it. There was no slack left in the whip, and they tug-of-warred for a bit until Sado finally out powered his opponent. He tossed his arm in the opposite direction, causing Shikamaru to be lifted off the ground and swung with the motion. Flying helplessly through the air, he saw where he was heading for: straight for the stadium wall!

He didn't panic. Quickly twisting himself so his feet were outward and bending slightly so he would get the momentum needed for when he landed, he focused chakra to his feet. When he impacted the wall, he fought through the sudden pain that shot through his legs, and grabbed his end of his whip with both hands. Rooted to the wall with his chakraed feet, he swung the whip down. Sado was instantly, and surprisingly, lifted off the ground, himself. The force of Shikamaru's swing crashed Sado, head first, into the stadium wall!

Shikamaru stopped his flow of chakra to his feet, and fell back to the ground. Once he landed and seeing that the other end of his whip was no longer wrapped around Sado's arm, he stopped the flow of chakra to that too, and his shadow retreated back to him. He was almost out of breath from the stunt he had just pulled. The crowd was in an absolute uproar of excitement from the scene they just witnessed.

Sado, though, suddenly appeared out of the hole he had just made in the wall. He was eyeing Shikamaru with absolute hatred. He hopped out of his hole and landed hard on the ground. "I will not be made a fool of anymore!" He began to walk toward Shikamaru. His face was bleeding, and his arm looked badly bruised.

He reached down and pulled two large pieces of land from the ground. He then jumped high into the air, becoming silhouetted by the sun. He threw the first boulder; it was raining down with surprising speed, and Shikamaru almost didn't dodge in time. He knew the second one was coming, so he prepared himself to dodge again when…

_Wham! _From behind him, another one of Sado's rock columns jumped up, and slammed into Shikamaru's back. He gasped in pain and no sooner had he regained his footing, the second piece of land shattered against his back! It hit him with such force it actually dropped him to the ground. Sado landed not to far away. "I forgot to tell you. I can control the ground from anywhere, even the sky." Shikamaru did his best to stand. He shouldered the rubble off of him, and spit dirt out of his mouth. He backed away from Sado, pulling a shuriken from his weapon's pouch.

Sado frowned, wiping some of the blood from his face. "As that what it has come to? You're cowering behind your own doom!" He raised his hand, as if he was about to call on another rock column, and Shikamaru threw his shuriken.

_That's what you think…_

The shuriken passed right under his raised arm, and Sado almost laughed at the fact that Shikamaru missed… That's when he saw it! There, dangling just under and behind his sleeve, was a small ball. His eyes widened, and the shuriken cut through the string it dangled by. _FLASH! _Suddenly, a blinding light erupted from the ball as soon as it was cut from Sado's sleeve! Sado forgot about the attack he was going to launch, and covered his eyes. The light was so bright! He couldn't see anything! Suddenly, he felt a binding constriction take hold of him. He was forced to lower his arm, but he kept his eyes squeezed shut.

When he felt the light had faded, he slowly and tentatively opened his eyes. It took a couple moments for his eyes to readjust, and even then everything seemed a little brighter. The first thing he saw was Shikamaru standing about ten steps away. Sado noticed that a bold black shadow was connecting them. He slowly cursed.

Shikamaru smirked. "Shadow Possession Jutsu… Success."

Sado growled. "But how?!" He tried to use gestures to express his anger, but he couldn't move his arms… He couldn't move anything. "That's impossible!"

Shikamaru yawned. "It's simple. You played right into my hands." Sado gaped in confusion and Shikamaru continued. "Remember at the beginning of this fight when I hit you with the back of my forearm? It was then that I placed the ball on the back of your sleeve. I attached the string to your fabric with chakra, so there was no way it was going to slip off by accident."

Sado seemed to begin to realize. "So… All the way at the beginning of the match…? There's no way. You planned all of this!"

Shikamaru nodded, and Sado nodded too. "More or less, yeah. After that, it was just a matter of wearing you down. You may not look it, but I think you're a little more tired then you seem. And all that Earth Style you use constantly… I imagine it uses a bit more chakra then you're letting on… I was trying to get us to this point. Battle after battle, it didn't matter. It all leads to just this!"

Sado still couldn't believe it. He was still trying to wrap his head around the whole thing. _I can't believe it! This guy was never trying to out power me at all! He had already outsmarted me in the beginning!_

Shikamaru began lowering his hand toward his kunai pouch. "We may have never said a word to each other up there," he said, nodding toward the bunker. "But I did notice one thing about you…" He slid a kunai out of his holster, and gripped it firmly. Sado, however, grabbed a handful of air, and held his fist. Shikamaru prepared to throw his projectile, while Sado only held out an empty fist. "…You don't wear a kunai holster."

Sado's eyes widened in shock as Shikamaru threw the kunai. He threw nothing, and he desperately tried to move out of the way but to no avail! He grunted as the kunai sliced into his shoulder. He began to bleed as Shikamaru drew another kunai. Once again, and Sado cursed himself for it, he grabbed nothing. Shikamaru threw his kunai again, and this time, it sliced into his other shoulder. Sado actually _gasped_ in pain this time. That kunai had gone in deeper then the other one had.

Shikamaru pulled another kunai from his holster. Sado was getting angry, but there was nothing he could do. He tried desperately to move, but he just couldn't. As Shikamaru's third kunai embedded into his left thigh, he noticed something. Shikamaru was beginning to breathe heavier. He raised an eyebrow. _Can it be? Is he having trouble sustaining this jutsu?_

Shikamaru threw his fourth kunai, and it cut into Sado's right thigh. "Argh!" He had to admit. It was starting to hurt. Shikamaru was breathing even heavier now, as he fumbled for his next weapon. Sado widened his eyes in surprise. What was this? He could actually move his left pinky! He smirked. _He must be losing control of the jutsu! I don't think it's supposed to be sustained for this long!_

As Shikamaru raised his kunai, Sado found he could move more fingers, and even… his left hand! He concentrated, and used all of his strength. He concentrated his chakra to his legs, doing his best to try and repel the shadow's bind. Shikamaru's kunai hit at his ribs and sent pain coursing through his body, but he ignored it. With one final push, he just barely raised his leg, and stepped…! It was as if a huge weight had been lifted from his shoulders! He couldn't feel the shadow anymore, and if that wasn't enough, the look on Shikamaru's face was.

He was free!

Immediately, he rushed at Shikamaru, fist drawn back. Shikamaru wasn't ready, and didn't have time to dodge. Sado connected, and Shikamaru was sent flying backwards. Sado watched him slam into the earth as, one at a time, he pulled the kunai out of his flesh. He walked briskly toward Shikamaru who was just puling himself to his feet. "I bet you didn't expect me to break out of that, did you?" He reached Shikamaru, grabbed him by his collar, lifted him into the air, and began to shake him. "Tell me, was this part of your plan?!" He threw Shikamaru further away, and walked after him again.

Shikamaru landed with a thud, and rolled some more. He was about to his limit. He thought about his father again, and stared at the approaching Sado. _Alright, _he thought. _I'll give it...one more try, Dad._

When Sado was upon him, he swept his leg across the ground, and tripped him. Not expecting an attack, Sado began to fall. Shikamaru pushed himself to his feet, grabbed Sado's shirt, and with all his might, threw him into the air, and above the crater that Gaara and Sengi had made. Sado flipped himself, though, and drooped down. He would land right in the middle of it. Shikamaru ran to the edge of the crater and did four quick hand signs. Sado saw it, but he was too late!

"Ninja Art," Shikamaru said breathlessly, "Shadow Overload!" From his own shadow, a huge mass of black spread throughout the crater, covering it in one giant shadow. Sado had no choice but to land in it. He felt the constricting bind again, only this time, it was even stronger then before. He watched as Shikamaru shifted his hands to a final seal. "Reminiscent Shadows!"

Slowly, a long, black arm rose from the coat of shadow, swaying. Out of the corner of his eye, Sado saw another spring up to his left. Another to his right. Two more in front of him. He could feel them everywhere, and he knew they could tear him apart. He was defenseless, and unable to move. He stammered, "H-How?" He glanced around again. "How is this even possible?"

Shikamaru was breathing heavily. "You may have thought that you had beaten me, but you didn't. In actuality, _this_ was my plan. True, what I did before was part of the overall process, though. Ever since the battle began, I've been trying to lead you over to this crater. It's the crater that Gaara made after Sengi slammed him into the ground, finishing their match. Its shape and size are perfect for this jutsu."

Sado nodded grimly. So he had been right before. Shikamaru had never wanted to out power him, because he had already won the moment the match started. He closed his eyes. The whole match he was simply trying to defeat Shikamaru as quickly as possible, and not even think about how to go about it. He knew when he was beaten "Remember when I said that are skills were vastly different…" He opened his eyes, and looked at Shikamaru with honest eyes. "Well, I was right…"

Shikamaru didn't look happy though. In fact, he gave a long sigh. "These arms could choke you to death right now if I wanted to, but unfortunately…" He sighed again, and Sado raised an eyebrow. "I don't have enough chakra left to do anything. In fact, this technique will end in about fifteen seconds… I lost the match the moment I used 'Shadow Overload.' With the chakra I've got left, I couldn't move those hands if I wanted to…"

Sado gasped, and just as Shikamaru said, the hands began to slowly dissolve into the shadow, and even still, the coat of shadow began to recall itself back to its owner. Sado found himself able to move again, and Shikamaru collapsed on one knee, breathing even heavier then before. "Proctor," he called. "That's it… I'm done…"

The proctor stepped forward and nodded. "If that is what you want…" He raised his voice. "The winner, by forfeit, is Sado!"

The crowd's excitement was obvious, and Sado shot a fist into the air in triumph. The proctor helped Shikamaru to his feet. "Do you have any severe injuries?" he asked.

Shikamaru shook his head. "No… I just want to take a nice long nap…" He observed a medical team jog onto the field. "But I don't want to go with them." He nodded toward the bunker. "I'll just take a nap up there…" The proctor nodded in understanding.

The medical team surrounded Sado. "Let's go," one of them said. "We need to treat those knife wounds before they get infected."

As Shikamaru hobbled off to the mouth in the wall, and Sado was led to the infirmary, the Kage's clapped along with the crowd. Kakashi, whom was standing next to Tsunade, exclaimed, "That wasn't a bad match at all. I rather enjoyed it."

Tsunade nodded. "As did I." She paused. "And I think Shikamaru will enjoy being a Chunin."

Kakashi laughed. "I don't know about that…"

The Raikage, responding to Tsunade's statement, said, "I think he deserves it." He watched as Shikamaru disappeared into the tunnel mouth. "He formulated a plan before he even stepped onto the field, and even then, he kept with it, accounting for every new variable that he didn't previously know about."

Tsunade continued with, "And he kept his cool too. He didn't become desperate and try anything crazy or something that he knew wouldn't work. He stayed focused, and in the end, sometimes it's better to form a strategic retreat rather then stage a desperate offensive. He's got a good mind, and he doesn't crack under pressure; all the qualities that a good Chunin should have."

Kakashi nodded. "Asuma will be pleased…" He trailed off, realizing something. "Wait… Naruto still isn't here yet…"

Tsunade and the Raikage instantly looked at one another, just as the proctor appeared in front of them.

"Lady Hokage…" he trailed off. "What… what would you like me to do?"

Tsunade scratched her chin. "Well… I did say…"

"Tsunade." Tsunade turned to look at the Raikage, and stared into his eyes. "Maybe we should…give him one more chance."

Tsunade suddenly felt comforted. "I agree." She looked at the proctor. "We'll wait a little longer."

"Yes ma'am!" With that, the proctor jumped back down to the field. Tatsuya was already waiting in the middle of it. The proctor joined him, and addressed the crowd.

"Ladies and gentlemen, unfortunately we have a slight delay, and the last match of the first round will have to be postponed slightly." As he was expecting, the crowd's mood changed instantly. He heard yells and booing from all around him. He tried to calm them down. "Please bare with us! Uzumaki Naruto has yet to arrive!"

**End of Chapter.**

**A/N: I hope you enjoyed it. Well, Shikamaru finally gets to become a Chunin. I know some of you must be happy about it. **

**Next Chapter:**

**Your Arrival is to Late!**


	20. Your Arrival is to Late!

**A/N: Lol. What's gonna' happen!?**

**Chapter 20**

**Your Arrival is to Late!**

It had only been five minutes since the proctor proclaimed the next match's delay, and already the crowd was getting restless. All around her Sakura could hear people beginning to complain about the heat, or that it was getting late, or that they were getting tired. It was driving her insane. She, herself, was worried about Naruto, and all these people complaining was just making her aggravated. Twice already she had wanted to just turn in her seat, and tell them all to shut up. She stopped herself, though; she already had enough on her mind.

She couldn't get Naruto out of her head. Why wasn't he here yet? Had something bad really happened to him? The thought of not seeing his smile again made Sakura's breath catch in her throat. Once more she thought about what she had overheard Jiraiya say in the Hokage's office.

"_There's no telling what kind of danger he'll be in…"_

She swallowed hard.

"What's wrong with you?" she suddenly heard Ino ask.

Sakura looked at her. "Nothing… Just getting a little worried about Naruto. He wouldn't miss this for anything."

"I guess you're right…" Ino replied. "Well… I'm sure he has a good reason."

"He better…" Sakura said softly. _For making me worry this much…_

She began to wonder if he was even aware he was in danger. What if he had been on his way here and just attack on the street! She shook her head. _No! No! No! Don't think like that! _She knew Naruto would be here. He _had _to be here! Any minute now, he'd come running into the stadium.

A minute passed… And the only difference that had occurred is that the crowd became even more restless.

She noticed the proctor glance up at the sky, and then over at the Kage's balcony. She followed his gaze, and saw Tsunade raise five fingers. She gasped.

The proctor addressed the stadium. "Attention… We are going to give Uzumaki Naruto another five minutes. If he does not arrive, then he will be disqualified, and forfeit the match to Tatsuya." Sakura gasped again. She had been right. Naruto only had five minutes left!

She found herself looking from one part of the stadium to another. Where was he…? _Where is he…? __**Where are YOU!?**_

She could feel the seconds draining away, and she wanted to pull her hair out. The crowd on the other hand, were becoming last restless. It really didn't matter to them. In four minutes, either way, they'd get to another battle. Sakura felt like punching them all in the face. She glanced up at Kage's balcony again. Judging by his expressions and gestures, it looked like Kakashi was trying to get Naruto more time. And, although she couldn't be entirely sure, it looked like the Raikage was trying to help him.

She looked toward the sky, half expecting him to fall out of it, land in the middle of the stadium, and say, "Sorry I'm late!"

It didn't happen. She felt a lone tear escape her eye. She quickly brushed it away, but another one began to slide down. She tried to brush that one away too, but more kept streaming down her face. Eventually, she just let them fall.

"Sakura!" Ino exclaimed in surprise. She leaned in close. "What's wrong?"

Sakura didn't reply. She didn't know why he wasn't here. Maybe something _did_ happen. Maybe she would _never_ see his smile again. Maybe she would _never_ get to laugh at him again. Maybe Team 7 would _never_ be the same again. Maybe he was gone. _Forever_.

That was when she heard the giant crash.

-

"Lady Hokage, _please_ give him another chance! He's got to have a good reason! You _know_ him!"

"Listen to him, Tsunade. All of these genin worked hard to come this far. They all deserve an equal chance to become a chunin."

"Yeah, I mean, you know what Naruto would do when he finds out he was disqualified!"

"What would _anyone_ do if they find out they were disqualified? Tsunade you _must_ reconsider…"

"Enough!" Tsunade said sternly. She had had about enough of all this. "Naruto's already been given two chances. Now I made a decision, and I'm going to stick with it." She paused. "He's got about two minutes… Then we _have_ to move on."

The Raikage frowned. This wasn't looking good. With each passing second his dream was slipping out of his grasp. He knew he had to do something, but he also knew there was nothing he _could_ do. He just had to put his faith in Naruto… If that was a good idea or not, he didn't know.

Kakashi sighed and looked away, defeated. He knew Naruto had a good reason for being late, he just wished Tsunade wasn't so strict. _Damn it… Come on, Naruto. We can't buy you any more time! _

Tsunade felt a little bad about the whole situation. But her decision was final. It would be unfair to give Naruto special treatment over anyone else. As much as she would hate to, if she had to disqualify Naruto, she would. She glanced up at the sky. _Not to much longer… _she thought grimly.

That was when she, the Raikage, and Kakashi heard the giant crash.

-

The Infirmary felt a little uncomfortable to Sasuke. He didn't know why, though; he spent a lot of time in hospitals, unfortunately. He felt a little better after the small nap he had taken. His mind was still in a buzz from his match. He was proud of himself for defeating such a strong opponent, though, despite how it ended. He sat up in his hospital bed.

Gaara was in the bed next to his, sound asleep. This surprised Sasuke. He didn't think he'd ever see Gaara as relaxed as sleeping. His sensei seemed to be concentrating really hard on something, though. There was a long scroll circled around the bed, and the sensei was sitting beside Gaara, eyes closed, and hands clasped together. He was sweating, and his head kept twitching. Sasuke could only wonder what they were doing.

Across from him, Sengi was also sitting up in his bed. He had been bandaged in multiple places, and Sasuke saw bruises visible on his arms. Sado was standing next to the bed. The side of his face had a large bandage placed on it. They were conversing in low voices, with worried expressions on their faces. Was it because Naruto still hadn't arrived?

If that was true, Sasuke became even more worried then he had before. He frowned at the thought of Naruto being disqualified. If he did forfeit his match, then they wouldn't be able to fight in the Final. He glanced at Sengi again; he _wasn't_ planning on losing to him.

A medical ninja materialized beside him. "Do you need anything? Does anything still hurt?"

Sasuke shook his head. He was surprised at how effective medical jutsu was. After no more then five minutes, nothing hurt; he felt renewed. He couldn't help but wonder why they had never had a medical nin on _any_ of their missions. "No thanks. I'm fine."

"Good." The medical ninja smiled. "Those are the kind of responses we look for." He left the bed's side, and Sasuke lay back down, hands behind his head. He was a little mad. He had been looking forward to seeing how much Naruto had progressed, but it looked like he wouldn't even see him at all. He wondered how Sakura and Kakashi were taking his prolonged absence.

That was when the he and the Infirmary heard the giant crash.

-

To the ones sitting in the stadium, the giant crash had happened in an instant. One second, everything was normal, and then the next; a billowing crash came from just outside the stadium. An enormous dust cloud came from the source of the cloud, covering the air in more dust then most people cared for. The wind that followed the crash rushed through the stadium like a hurricane. Something had caused that crash, and that something was _big_.

Sakura had covered her eyes the moment the crash hit. The wind blew her hair in every direction, and she even thought she heard Ino squeal. When the wind finally settled down to a breeze, she lowered her arms and strained her eyes. No good; she couldn't see through the dust cloud. _What is that? _She thought desperately.

Glancing up at the Kage's balcony, she saw Kakashi and another Konoha ninja had put themselves in front of Tsunade. _Good_, she thought. She had been worried about her master. She looked back to the dust cloud, and saw that it was starting to clear. She could just barely make out the outline of a huge creature, and by huge, she meant _huge_! Another gust of wind swept through the stadium, but this time it seemed to be coming from the creature. It blew the rest of the cloud away, and immediately, Sakura gasped.

Sitting well above the stadium wall, was a giant toad. It was smoking on a giant pipe, and a huge dagger laid it its hip. Slowly, a ring of smoke puffed from his pipe, and he switched it to the other side of his mouth. It was definitely a sight to behold, but that wasn't the end of it. An even smaller figure could be seen standing atop the toad's vast head. Sakura narrowed her eyes, and just as Ino took a sharp intake of breath and a person behind her screamed in excitement, she realized who it was.

She felt tears escape her eyes again, but this time, she wasn't quite sure why she was crying. Her heart was fluttering in her chest, but the tears just wouldn't stop streaming down her face. She wanted to hit herself for having so much doubt, but she more then that, she wanted to hit him for _making_ her have all that doubt. She would apologize later, but she would make him wait for it. She smiled through her tears.

There, head held high, arms crossed, and wearing a slight grin as he overlooked the stadium, was Naruto Uzumaki.

-

His appearance was completely different. Gone was his orange jumpsuit; in its place was a sleek, more mature fashion choice. He wore black pants, with an orange stripe running up the length of each leg to his waist line. He also wore a black shirt…for the most part. About half way down each sleeve, the black faded into an orange. The last alteration he had made involved his headband; also gone was the blue cloth that tied it around his forehead. It had been replaced by a much longer, black one that swayed in the wind.

It had grown silent throughout the stadium, everyone unsure of what to say. Finally, the proctor cleared his throat. He had to half yell to Naruto. "Naruto Uzumaki… We're all glad you could make it, but…" he took glance at the sky, then his own watch. "I'm sorry to inform you that your arrival is to late!"

As soon as the proctor finished, Sakura had been expecting Naruto to go off in a tantrum. Surprisingly, he didn't. A quizzical look crossed his face, but he didn't move a muscle. Sakura was caught off guard. Had he actually handled that like a person his _own_ age?

A voice suddenly rang out from behind Naruto. "I believe I can vouch for him when I say we were…held up." Jiraiya suddenly stepped beside Naruto, smiling a cool smile. He glanced toward the Kage's balcony as he said, "Let's not disqualify him."

The proctor was taken aback. "Jiraiya?!" he paused, clearly unsure of what to do. "I'm sorry, sir, but rules are rules. Lady Hokage herself said-!"

Jiraiya interrupted. "So it was Tsunade's decision was it?" He glued his gaze to Tsunade. "How about everyone just wait a moment." It wasn't a request. In one leap, Jiraiya jumped from atop the toad, straight in front of Tsunade. He landed on one knee. "O' humble Hokage," he began.

Tsunade fumed. "Cut the crap, Jiraiya."

Jiraiya quickly stood, crossing his arms. "How could you even _consider_ disqualifying Naruto?"

"I have no choice! For the sake of fairness! I mean, I already gave him _two_ chances!" She stood up as well. "I don't _want_ to do this, but my decisions are final!"

Jiraiya shifted his weight from one side to the other. "Please, Tsunade. We have a good excuse for being late. We ran into some..." He took a quick glance at the Raikage, who was watching the event intently. Tsunade saw Jiraiya's hesitation. "… shenanigans along the way."

Tsunade's eyes widened. Had she picked that up correctly? Was Jiraiya referring to the Akatsuki? She took a slow blink. Had there been a battle or was information just tossed around? She had to know! She threw a glance behind her; Kakashi seemed to understand as well. She decided.

"Very well, Jiraiya. I'll take your word for it, and allow Naruto to participate." She signaled to the proctor her decision while casting an expression to Jiraiya that read, _I want to know EVERYTHING!_

Jiraiya nodded. He back flipped back onto the toad: not an easy maneuver. He put a hand on Naruto's shoulder. "You're good to go, Naruto." He added a little softer, "Remember, keep it under control, and only use that technique in an emergency." He looked down at Naruto's opponent, Tatsuya. "This guy shouldn't be a problem anyway!" Naruto nodded, understanding, and Jiraiya tapped his foot. "Ready to go back, Gamabunta?"

A great, deep voice echoed from the toad. It made Sakura flinch. "Yes… And next time it better be Naruto that summons me!"

Jiraiya raised his hands in defense. "Hey, hey! We needed to get here in a hurry, and we were already late! Plus, I didn't want Naruto to waste anymore chakra!" Gamabunta replied in the form of an "Hmph!" and disappeared in a cloud of smoke. Jiraiya had jumped off before that, and landed safely on the Kage's balcony.

Naruto let himself drop down. He barely touched the top of the stadium wall before he used it o push himself down to the proctor and Tatsuya. He was calm.

The proctor raised his hand. "This is it, ladies and gentlemen! The final match of the first round!" A roar of applause from the crowd! "Tatsuya versus Naruto Uzumaki!" The applause was a little louder for Naruto's name. The proctor swung his arm down, and jumped away. "Begin!"

Tatsuya drew a kunai and charged for Naruto. Naruto shifted his body, though, and caught Tatsuya's wrist. He began to squeeze, and Tatsuya started yelling. He dropped the kunai he had charged with, and tried to peel Naruto's hand away. It wasn't working, but Naruto let go anyway, pushing Tatsuya back some. Then, with a quick spin, he kicked Tatsuya in the stomach. He was sent flying a good ways away, and slammed hard into the ground.

He began to roll around, clutching his wrist in pain. Naruto just stood where he was, and watched.

The whole stadium was in a hushed silence. Tsunade turned to look at Jiraiya. He held her gaze, flashing a smile. "Don't worry. He's using…well you'll see in a bit. He won't fight like that for long."

-

Sakura sat back in her seat. What was that? At first she had been excited that Naruto had returned safe and sound, but unfortunately, she wasn't sure if she still was. Something inside her told her that this wasn't the real Naruto. He was different somehow.

She wasn't sure she what to think.

**End of Chapter. **

**A/N: Naruto makes his appearance, but why did it take so long? What exactly did he go through over the last month? Is Sakura right to worry about him? The match continues…soon. **

**Next Chapter:**

**I'll Show You the Turning Winds**


	21. I'll Show You the Turning Winds!

**Chapter 21**

**I'll Show You the Turning Winds**

"Argh! Ah…argh!"

The sight of Tatsuya rolling on the ground and moaning in pain was pitiful. His wrist had become dark red in color. Naruto, who had been watching the event, narrowed his eyes and crossed his arms. He hadn't thought he had done that much, but he waited nonetheless. A breeze rushed through the stadium, blowing his clothes and his hair slightly.

Finally, after about another minute, Tatsuya pulled himself to his feet, staggering slightly. "If you think I'm intimidated…" he began, fanning his wrist. "Then you're wrong!"

He suddenly charged at Naruto's left side. He drew his fist back, and increased his speed. He threw the punch, but Naruto blocked it easily with his left arm. He threw Tatsuya's arm away, and stepped, punching with his right fist. Tatsuya jumped back and avoided it. Naruto rushed him as soon as he landed back down. With two aggressive punches to the stomach, Naruto grabbed Tatsuya's shirt collar, and threw him in the other direction. He landed with a grunt of pain. Dust encircled him as he skimmed across the ground.

Up on the Kage's balcony, Tsunade turned around to look at Jiraiya again. She didn't have to say anything for Jiraiya to understand; her expression said it all. He crossed his arms. "Naruto and I…_worked _during the month."

Tsunade frowned. "I can see that." She glanced at Naruto again. "But what did you _do_?"

Jiraiya stepped beside Tsunade's chair. "I wanted to build Naruto's relationship with the Kyuubi," he said matter-of-factly.

Tsunade raised an eyebrow. Had she heard correctly? She waited a beat. He must be joking. His expression, however, didn't change. "Why would you want to do that? Didn't I explain that the seal was weak enough already…? The closer their consciences are to one another…"

"The more powerful Naruto becomes," Jiraiya finished. He stood up straight, and put his hand on his chin. He stared down at Naruto. "It's a hard fact to swallow," he continued. "But it _is _a fact."

They watched as Tatsuya threw a kunai at Naruto, who dodged it easily, then rushed his opponent. He rapidly punched Tatsuya four times in the stomach, each punch lifting Tatsuya higher off the ground. After the fourth punch, Naruto launched a spinning jump into the air. After a second, he kicked Tatsuya in the side, sending him flying across the arena. Naruto landed. It had all happened in about five seconds.

Tsunade widened her eyes in surprise. "What you're seeing now," Jiraiya said, "is the result of interaction." He smiled slightly. "Like all Jinchuriki, under certain conditions, Naruto can communicate with his Bijuii." He paused. "So I decided to incorporate this into his training. If he concentrates, Naruto can access the part of his mind where the Kyuubi is sealed, and converse with it."

Tsunade frowned again. "I'm still not totally sure this is the right idea…" The Kyuubi was dangerous, and she knew Jiraiya was well aware of it.

Jiraiya ignored her comment and continued. "Naruto is fighting with a special form of Taijutsu he, the Kyuubi, and I developed together. While he's fighting right now, he's also communicating with the Kyuubi. The Kyuubi helps and coaches him through the steps as he implements them on the battlefield. The Kyuubi is also stimulating Naruto's movement with the tiniest bit of its chakra, thus, Naruto's increased speed and power."

Tsunade's jaw dropped only slightly. "No way," she said, looking back at Naruto. "That's incredible!"

"There _is _a downside…" Jiraiya continued. "Naruto's mind has to be at two places at once: both on the battlefield, and where the Kyuubi is. Since this is impossible, Naruto has to feed his own mind and conscience with chakra. This allows him to be with the Kyuubi, but also be able to act on the battlefield at the same time. This Interaction Taijusu is powerful, but Naruto can only use it for a short time, because it constantly requires chakra for use." He interlocked his fingers. "In short: Naruto is essentially _separating _his mind in two. With chakra, however, he's able to stay linked, and in complete control. He and the Kyuubi have to work in unison."

A surprise kunai is thrown at Naruto! He is expecting it. Ducking, he rolls forward, throwing kunai of his own. Naruto immediately senses that the Kyuubi doesn't like this decision, but it doesn't speak out against it. Tatsuya jumps off the ground, avoiding the kunai. Once he lands, he rushes Naruto once again, pulling a small, purple pouch from behind him. Naruto sees it. Under the Kyuubi's suggestion, he takes a step back, deciding to wait. Tatsuya opens the pouch, and jabs it at Naruto, emptying its contents. Naruto is expecting a weapon, but all that rains upon him is water. It splashes against him harmlessly. He's wet but unharmed.

Tatsuya lands, breathing heavily; he is smiling. Both Naruto and the Kyuubi know he's done something. At that moment, he goes on one knee, forming his hands into signs. Again, both Naruto and the Kyuubi know something is wrong, and Naruto rushes for Tatsuya. The Kyuubi growls, giving Naruto a bit more speed. Unfortunitly, even with the extra speed, Naruto arrives a second to late; the last sign is finished as Naruto raised his fist to attack. A bright, blue flash explodes between them. It's so bright, the audience has to avert their eyes. As it fades, though, they look again, eager to see the outcome.

What they saw astonished them. In the middle of the arena, stood an ice-coated Naruto, fist inches from Tatsuya's face. He was frozen solid! Tatsuya stood up, popping his shoulder. He waved his hand in front of Naruto's still eyes, and tapped Naruto's frozen arm. Yep. Frozen solid. He began to laugh loudly, shooting a fist into the air.

On the Kage's balcony, everyone was silent. Tsunade's mouth was hanging open, the Raikage was speechless, and Kakashi's good eye was even wide with astonishment. Jiraiya took a step forward, his deep scowl deepening still. He looked as if he was about to say something, but his mouth stayed shut.

Tatsuya took a kunai from his holster, twirled it once, and slammed it into Naruto's frozen arm. It embedded deeply! He laughed again, turning toward the proctor.

-

The Naruto saw the flash, he became extremely cold. In a second, he felt his limbs go stiff, and his muscles tighten. As he froze, he slammed face first into the water in front of the Kyuubi's cage. He stayed like that for a second, but then propped himself up on his elbows. He looked into the darkness of the Kyuubi's cage. Suddenly though, two huge, yellow eyes appeared. With them, came a loud growl.

"**What happened?!" **The Kyuubi demanded.

Naruto took deep breath. He was tired. "You saw it! He got us."

Another growl. **"No! All I saw was a little bit of water!" **The Kyuubi hit the inside of its cage with its head, causing the room to shake. Naruto watched the ripples form in the water. It was better to just let the Kyuubi vent for a bit.

He stood up, staggering a little. The Taijutsu he had developed with Jiraiya was really wearing him down. "Look," he said, "don't try to play that denial crap! You thought that water was harmless too! We both made a mistake!"

The Kyuubi flashed Naruto its sharp teeth. **"The water **_**was **_**harmless. It was just the jutsu that got us!" **Naruto couldn't believe it. Was the Kyuubi in _denial_?

Naruto noticed the water in the room was beginning to cool. He was beginning to worry. "Okay…so now what?" Naruto actually had an idea of his own, but he didn't want the Kyuubi to make fun of it.

A low rumbling sounded from the cage. **"We have to break the ice."**

Naruto sighed. Anyone could have come up with that. "How do you suggest we go about that?" He asked.

Naruto thought he heard the tiniest bit of amusement in the Kyuubi's next growl. **"How else?"**

-

No sooner then after he said the proctor's name, Tatsuya noticed Naruto's frozen body shaking. The proctor noticed too. He didn't reply.

Tatsuya watched as the ice began to drip, and cracks slowly formed in various places. He knew what was about to happen, but he couldn't believe it. "Impossible…" he muttered. Mesmerized, he watched as Naruto eyes, incased in ice, took a slow blink. A red chakra formed around the ice, outlining it in a contrast of colors. On one fatal movement, Naruto snapped his arms together, shattering the ice. After that, the rest of the ice began to merely fall from his body. Each piece broke into smaller pieces as they hit the ground.

Naruto was breathing heavily, but before Tatsuya could say anything, Naruto punched him with lightning quick speed. The hit sent Tatsuya crashing into one of the stadium walls. Naruto went on one knee, and the chakra faded. He tried to take deep, even breaths. He was still shivering.

The Kyuubi spoke to Naruto. **"There we go. It is done." **It paused, surprising Naruto. **"However, I grow uninterested in this battle." **Naruto raised an eyebrow to the ground he was staring at. **"You can handle the rest by yourself." **It wasn't a question. **"You don't have enough chakra left for the Connection anyway." **With that, the Kyuubi's presence faded.

Naruto took another deep breath, pulling the kunai out of his arm. He winced, but it didn't hurt that bad. The Kyuubi was right; his chakra was running low. He had to finish this quickly. He stood up just as Tatsuya pulled himself out of the hole he made in the wall. Shaking his head, he eyed Naruto. "You…!" 

He began to charge at Naruto, kunai in hand. Naruto readied himself, waiting just a second. "I'll show you the Turning Winds!" he yelled. He did two quick hand signs, and held out his right arm straight ahead. It shook from the kunai wound though, so he steadied it with his left arm. Open palmed, he aimed his arm at Tatsuya's charging form. "Turning Winds!" A split second passed, then, suddenly, a gust of wind erupted from Naruto's palm. It knocked a shocked Tatsuya off his feet, once again slamming him against the wall with unbelievable force. The wind was so strong it even cut his skin and ripped his clothes in some places. Naruto closed his palm, and the wind stopped.

Very bruised, Tatsuya fell from the wall to the ground, landing with a thud. He didn't move. The proctor was suddenly kneeling over him. After a second, he stood up and announced to the cheering crowd, "The winner, by knockout, is Uzumaki Naruto!" The stadium absolutely _exploded _with noise. Tsunade, herself, was cheering. Kakashi and Jiraiya gave him a thumbs-up, and even the Raikage was standing for him. It was the first time that Naruto felt everyone was truly on his side.

The cheers soon stopped though, and every face in the stadium looked to Tsunade. She was conversing with a medical ninja beside her, and another Konoha ninja talking with her at the same time. Kakashi, too, seemed to be in the conversation. Naruto had taken a seat in the middle of the arena, having denied a trip to the medical wing; he would heal just fine on his own. He watched as Tsunade nodded and pointed, and nodded some more. He wondered what they were talking about. After a final statement, Tsunade stepped before the stadium.

"It has been decided," she said, "that due to the state of damage to the arena, as well as the fact that some of the genin still haven't fully recovered, we are going to be postponing the second round until noon tomorrow!"

This was met with general disappointment, but mutual understanding from the crowd. As they began to vacate their seats, and head home from the excitement, Naruto stood up. Jiraiya was suddenly by his side, placing a hand on his shoulder. "The main reason for that," he said, jabbing his head at Tsunade. "Is because that neither Sengi nor the Uchiha are in any position to battle." He grinned. "You did great, by the way!"

Kakashi suddenly landed in front of them, hand held in the air. "Naruto!" he said. Naruto grinned, and slapped his sensei's hand. "I was blown away. You've definitely grown." He got into a battle stance. "Maybe you can take me on now!" They laughed. "But, congratulations." Kakashi continued. "You're well on your way to facing Sasuke in the finals!" He threw a glance behind him toward the medical wing. "Speaking of which, I think I'll go check on him." He began in that direction. "You and Sakura come join me later!" he called over his shoulder.

_Sakura! _Naruto's eyes widened. _Oh crap! Where is she? _He began to scan the still vacating crowd, desperately searching for any sign of pink hair…Nothing. He couldn't help but blush at the thought of Sakura. He hadn't seen her in a month!

"Are you sure you're okay?" Jiraiya suddenly asked, interrupting his thoughts. "That whole ice thing gave us all quite the scare! I don't think anyone was expecting that!"

Naruto laughed and grinned. "No, but we got out of it!" He scratched the back of his head sheepishly just as someone poked him in the back. He spun around and came face to face with…Sakura. His face reddened instantly. Sakura looked different! She was garbed in a red shirt with a mini skirt over black shorts. Her hair was slightly longer, and was secured with a headband with a red strap. She looked, for lack of a better word, beautiful.

Her face reddened under his stare. "Naruto…" she finally said, but trailed off. Naruto just stood there, and kept staring. He noticed her face scowl in frustration, then shift into an emotion of sadness. She looked as if she was about to cry. Naruto was about to say something, but was stopped as she barreled into him. She wrapped her arms around him, and buried her face in his chest. He could hear her sobbing. He stood there awkwardly for a moment, but then slowly wrapped his arms around her.

Jiraiya watched the event, but then backed away. He caught Tsunade's eye on the Kage's balcony. She had also seen it.

Naruto tightened his grip, feeling his shirt become a little wet. He understood why she was crying. He hated it. "Sorry…" he whispered into her hair. "I… I didn't mean for you to worry." He felt guilty. After another moment, Sakura finally let go. They separated; Sakura wiping her eyes, while Naruto just stared at the ground.

"It's not just that…" she said, her voice still a little shaky. "I thought you weren't coming back! I thought you had abandoned us… Abandoned me…"

Naruto gave her a soft, warm, smile. Her extended his hand, and gently wiped away her last tear. "Listen to me," he said seriously. "I would _never_ abandon you."

Sakura returned his smile with one of her own. "I know you wouldn't." Naruto felt his stomach twist in a comforting way. She suddenly grabbed his hand, and began to lead him toward the medical wing. He felt his skin prickle under her touch.

"Do we have to go see Sasuke?" Naruto whined.

Sakura giggled. "No… But we're gonna'!"

Naruto can't refuse.

**End of Chapter.**

**A/N: Sorry this took a little longer then usual to get out. **

**Next Chapter:**

**The Sengi You Know, Is Gone.**


	22. The Sengi You Know, Is Gone

_**(Quick AN: Sorry for the wait. I appreciate, but sometimes question, those who are sticking with me.)**_

**Our story so far…**

Sasuke Uchiha, the great, sought after ninja by Orochimaru himself, refused the offer to go with him to gain more power. Sasuke's decision caused a battle to ensue between him and the Sound Four. Sasuke, outnumbered and outmatched fell in defeat. About to take him by force, the Sound Four, now Three due to Sasuke killing one of the members, were forced to retreat by Kakashi, Sasuke's sensei. Orochimaru, however unbalanced and unstable, was not about to give up…

With Team 7 unbroken, Sasuke, Naruto and Sakura quickly excepted a mission from the Hokage, herself. They were to hunt down and exterminate a band of rogue ninja that were ransacking towns across the Fire Nation. A fairly easy mission… Along with Kakashi, the hunters quickly became the hunted, as the rogue ninjas found them first. A surprise ambush left the team unharmed but separated. Sasuke, Naruto and Sakura quickly found the rogue camp, and discovered their leader, an ex-Stone Village jonin named Sarota.

Naruto was put out of commission by a surprise poison kunai and left in Sakura's care as Sasuke went to take on Sarota. Sasuke was unable to match Sarota's wit and strength, and found himself on the verge of death. Then, strangely, a blue chakra gave him new found power and he was able to push Sarota to the edge. Still unable to win, though, Sasuke was once again helpless to Sarota's wrath. However, Naruto, rejuvenated by the Kyuubi's massive healing abilities, swooped in with a red chakra all his own. Sarota, weakened from his battle with Sasuke, fell to Naruto's mighty Rasengan, and the mission came to a climatic end.

No sooner had everyone recovered from the Rogue mission, they were faced with another challenge: The Chunin Exams. Kakashi once again recommended them, and Team 7 began to compete in the even bigger exams. The First Exam was a test of Temptation and Judgment. Team 7 passed, along with other Konoha teams like Shikamaru's, Gaara's team from the Sand, and Naruto's new friend, Sengi from the Cloud Village's team.

The Second Exam was a hunt for old, but important artifacts in the forest outside of Konoha's gates. Team 7 met its match with a battle between a Sound ninja team over their artifact, nearly being knocked out of the exam. Sengi however, stepped in and saved them, defeating the team's leader, and winning the artifact for them. Team 7, along with Sengi's team, were two of the many that flocked to the Preliminaries.

The Preliminaries, a long and tiring event, pitted the genin against each other to find the best of the best for the Third Exam. It held many explosive battles and shocking victories, but in the end, only eight advanced to the Third Exam. They included Naruto, Sasuke, Gaara and even Sengi, who had surprised everyone with his victory over Negi Hyuga.

Between the Preliminaries and the Third Exam, the genin were given a month to train and prepare themselves for their fights. Sasuke began a grueling training with Kakashi, while Naruto once again caught up with Jiraiya. Sakura didn't advance to the Finals, but asked Tsunade, the Hokage, if she would train her so she wouldn't fall behind her team mates.

The month passed quickly, and the competitors, along with a roaring crowd, arrived at the stadium in the center of Konoha. Of the eight finalists however, only seven had arrived. Naruto was nowhere to be seen, but Tsunade granted him the time until his match to arrive.

The first match was between Sengi and Gaara. Both of the genin were evenly matched, Gaara's defensive offense, to Sengi's speed and long range lightning jutsu. Even when the battle intensified, a clear winner could not be predicted. Finally, Gaara suffered a fatal wound by one of Sengi's lightning attacks, and went berserk, his Bijuu chakra leaking out. However, due to the possibility of Gaara losing control, and for the safety of the crowd, Sengi was given permission to use his own Bijuu chakra to combat Gaara. The two forces collided, shaking the stadium. Eventually, Sengi was finally able to overpower Gaara, defeat him, and keep him under control.

The second match pitted Sasuke against the only Sound ninja that was left: Deadaru. In the beginning, it looked as if Sasuke had the upper hand, but once Deadaru stopped faking and holding back, he activated his curse mark given to him by Orochimaru. With the tide of battle turned, Sasuke found himself helpless fighting Deadaru's new found strength. However, once he activated his own curse mark (under the watchful eyes of Tsunade and Kakashi of course) the real battle began. Putting his plan to show Sasuke the true, overwhelming power of a curse mark in action, Deadaru used a forbidden jutsu he obtained from Orochimaru and trapped Sasuke in a giant dome of darkness. With no other way to get out, Sasuke staged a last, desperate offensive, and used his Limit, a special form of raw power, strength and speed in the form of chakra, to break free of the dome. As a result of his jutsu being broken, Deadaru paid an unforgivable side-effect: Death.

The third match was between Konoha's Shikamaru Nara and the Cloud Village's Sado. Due to Sado's size and strength, it looked as if Shikamaru was at a major disadvantage. However, he managed to match Sado in every aspect of the battle, showing off some of his new shadow techniques, and furthering his reputation as a strategist. Sado fell for Shikamaru's traps over and over again, and would have lost the match if Shikamaru had not used the last of his chakra. Sado lost the fight, but won the match.

The fourth and final match of the first round was between Tatsuya, a ninja from the hidden Mist, and Naruto…who had still not arrived. Tsunade granted him a bit more time, but it quickly elapsed. With everyone on edge, and Naruto on the verge of disqualification, a giant toad appeared outside the stadium. Standing on its head, was Naruto along with Jiraiya. Jiraiya convinced Tsunade to let him compete, and the fourth match officially began. The results of Naruto's training were astounding, as Tatsuya couldn't even touch him. Blow after blow, after blow Naruto beat Tatsuya. Tatsuya tried one last jutsu, and froze Naruto in solid ice. With the Kyuubi's help, however, he was able to break free and defeat Tatsuya once and for all.

Due to the shape of the arena and the genin, Tsunade said that the next round wouldn't start until the next day.

**Our story continues… **

**Chapter 22**

**The Sengi You Know, Is Gone**

Naruto was eager to see Sasuke, but only _just_. He was far more interested in the fact that Sakura was holing onto his hand, pulling him down the bright hallway. Her touch was soft and inviting, and it made him feel even worse for making her cry. He continued to let her lead, listening to their footsteps echo as they walked. In an odd way, it comforted him. He couldn't but wonder if it comforted her too.

They turned and passed through an open door. Inside there were several white beds lining the walls, and nurses walking to and fro. Three of the beds were occupied by Gaara, Sengi, and Sasuke. Sado was sitting in a chair by Sengi's bed, and Naruto wasn't sure, but he thought that was Gaara's sensei sitting beside his own bed as well. Kakashi was standing at the head of Sasuke's.

Much to Naruto's disappointment, Sakura let go of his hand, and walked over to Sasuke's bed; Naruto followed. Sasuke was sitting up in his bed, munching on a couple of rice balls. Naruto couldn't help but notice the bandages he was covered in. He knew that Sasuke had won, but had his fight really been that difficult? Sasuke stopped chewing when he saw him. After a moment, he swallowed.

"A little late, aren't we?"

Naruto scratched the back of his head nervously. "Yeah… I guess we're even now!"

Sasuke smirked. "We are…" He paused. "But not for long. We both just have to win one more fight, and then we'll be able to battle for real."

Naruto grinned. "Oh yeah! I haven't forgotten! You just better win your next match!"

Sasuke nodded, but at the same time, a voice rang out from across the room. "To bad he won't." They all looked, and found Sengi had stood from his bed. He was throwing the group a smirk. It was a smirk that made Naruto uncomfortable. There was…something about it that he just couldn't place. It was like he had seen it before…

"What was that!?" Sasuke demanded, sitting straighter in his bed. Sengi, smirk still present, took a step towards them. Naruto noticed that his teammate, Sado, was standing a couple paces back.

"You heard me," Sengi said, coming to the head of Sasuke's bed. His eyes were a pale green. "There's no way I'll let you defeat me." He glanced at Naruto for just a moment. "I have a much more important goal."

Sasuke frowned. He closed his left eye in concentration, but kept his right open. Slowly, the Sharingan became clear as day, and Sasuke began to pant. He was looking straight into Sengi's eyes. "You'll regret that."

Sengi's smirk grew larger. "We will see." He began to walk towards the exit, motioning for Sado to follow. They stopped at the door, and Sengi looked back at Sasuke. "Tomorrow," he said in a frightening voice. "I'll kill you." With that, they left. Naruto listened as their footsteps faded down the hall.

Sasuke fell back in his bed. "I can't believe he just said that!" he growled, still panting. "I can't wait till tomorrow!"

Kakashi put his hand on Sasuke's shoulder. "Calm down, Sasuke. Get some rest."

"I'm fine!" He tried to sit up again, but Kakashi pushed him back down.

"Lady Tsunade will be the judge of that."

Sasuke opened his mouth in response, but closed it, knowing he was fighting a losing battle. "…Fine… I'll stay for now…"

"I've got some things to discus with the Hokage," Kakashi said, narrowing his eyes at the exit. "I'll come and check up on you later." He swiftly jumped out the near by window.

"Us too, Sasuke!" Sakura added, grabbing Naruto's hand and moving to the exit right after Kakashi. Naruto threw his friend a grin as Sakura pulled him out of the room. Sasuke raised his hand to say good-bye, but they were already gone.

Naruto didn't exactly know where Sakura was taking him, but he honestly didn't care. Sakura was taking him _somewhere_. That's what mattered. He quickly found himself exiting the hospital, and onto the crowded streets of Konoha. Naruto took the time to take a whiff of the air. He'd been away for a month, and it felt good to be back. They turned onto a street he recognized. Sakura continued walking, and that brought a smile to his face.

"You don't have to, Sakura," he said.

Sakura didn't even hesitate; in fact, her grip tightened. "I know," she replied, turning her head to look at him. Her emerald eyes were almost sparkling. "But I want to."

Naruto instantly felt his throat tighten up, and his stomach lurched forward. He averted his eyes. "Well… if you insist…"

They finally stopped. Naruto grinned at the sign of Ichiraku Ramen. Sakura smiled because he was grinning. Still holding onto his hand, she stepped inside, dragging him with her.

They were met with a very big, "Welcome!"

…And a pause.

"N-Naruto!" Teuchi practically yelled in excitement. In mere seconds, he had leaped over the counter and trapped Naruto in a giant bear hug. "It's so good to see you, my boy!" he laughed. "How long has it been since I've seen my favorite customer?!" He let go of Naruto, and hopped back over the counter. "So what can I get you today? Tell you what, first bowl's on the house!"

Naruto grinned. "Thank you," he said, "but I'm not the one paying for this meal." He gestured to Sakura.

Teuchi looked her over, and smiled. "Well, well, it looks like I have to thank your girlfriend for treating you to this instead of making a nice home dinner!" He bowed. "I thank you, young lady."

"She's not my girlfriend!"

"I'm not his girlfriend!"

Teuchi stared at them, obviously confused. However, he soon was smiling again. "Either way, first bowl's on the house, to _both _of you."

After another awkward pause, they both sat down. In hardly no time at all, two steaming bowls of noodles were placed in front of them. Naruto licked his lips as he snapped his chopsticks apart. Out of the corner of his eye, however, he saw Sakura staring into her bowl with a questionable look.

"What's wrong?" Naruto asked, chuckling. "Never had ramen before?"

She looked at him. "Of course I have… But truthfully, I've never eaten here before. It's always been home made."

Naruto's jaw dropped in surprise as Teuchi slammed his arm on the counter, shaking their bowls. His eyes were burning with a fiery intensity.

"What's this? You dare question the quality of my ramen?! I'll have you know that I put my heart and soul into every bowl I serve! That's a _LOT _of soul!" He shot his fist into the air. "My passion for ramen goes beyond mere words… It extends to the very taste!" He thrust a fat finger at Sakura, who flinched in surprise. "Go ahead and see for yourself!"

Sakura looked back down at her bowl, and picked up her chopsticks. She broke them apart, and delved into the ramen. She quickly brought them back up, ramen snapped firmly between the utensils, and after a quick blow, she placed the noodles in her mouth. Naruto watched as she chewed, and eventually, swallowed. Her eyes widened in surprise.

"It's…good!"

Teuchi slammed his arm on the counter again. "Was there ever any doubt!" He broke out in hearty laughter. "Now please, please, enjoy your meals. He walked off to make the next order, and left Naruto and Sakura alone. Naruto immediately began to make short work of his ramen. Sakura was taking much more average bites.

"So…" Naruto said, after swallowing a rather large bite. "What have you been up to this past month?"

Sakura smiled. "I've actually taken up training under Lady Tsunade."

Naruto practically spit out his food. "What? Seriously? You're working under that old grandma? Man, it's gotta be rough!"

Sakura giggled, taking another bite of ramen. "It can be, but I'm learning a lot. Just wait till you see how strong I've become…"

Naruto grinned. "I don't have to see." Sakura looked at him in surprise. "I noticed the first time a saw you back at the stadium. You had definitely changed."

Sakura blushed and turned away. _Idiot…!_

Suddenly, Teuchi spoke up. "Ah! AH! Welcome! Welcome! What an honor it is for you to pay my little establishment a visit! Please sit anywhere you like!"

Both Sakura and Naruto glanced behind them. A tall figure had just entered into Ichiraku Ramen. He wore a long, dangling white robe. It bore the symbol of the Cloud Village on both sleeves. On either side of him stood ninja wearing the Hidden Cloud Village symbol. "Ah. Thank you. I think I'll choose this one, if that's okay." His laugh that followed echoed around the quiet bar.

Naruto could've sworn he's seen that man before, but just couldn't place it. Beside him, Naruto heard Sakura gasp. He turned back to his bowl. "So? Who is that guy?" He whispered, taking a hot bit of his ramen.

Sakura lowered her voice as well. "That's the Raikage. Leader of the Hidden Cloud Village. You know? The one that Sengi's from? Lady Tsunade said that he's the only other Kage that came to the Chunin Exams personally."

"Raikage…?" Naruto said aloud. He gave another furtive glance at the Raikage, who had now taken his seat. _Oh yeah! _He suddenly remembered. _I remember that guy from the Preliminaries! And he was sitting next to Tsunade on that balcony today! _He tunred back to Sakura. "But something's not right… Why would he come to eat at a place like this…?"

"Naruto…?"

Naruto's eyes widened. It was the Raikage's voice. Slowly, he turned in his stool. Sure enough, the Raikage was look at him. As Naruto turned around, he smiled. "Well, so it is! I thought that looked like the back of your head. I'd recognize that bright, blonde hair anywhere!" He laughed as he stood from his seat and began to walk over to them.

Naruto stood as well, but motioned for Sakura to stay seated. "Hello, Raikage."

The Raikage gave a small nod of the head. "I wanted to say that your battle today was most impressive. You'll definitely make it to the Finals."

Naruto raised an eyebrow. "Why do you say that? I have to fight Sado tomorrow. Isn't he one of your toughest genin?"

The Raikage gave another small nod. "He is, but he almost lost to that other Leaf genin today. It was a very close match, so I know he won't stand a chance against you." A pause. "Yes, tomorrow will be a very long day… I'm looking forward to the first match."

Naruto thought about it. "Sengi and Sasuke?"

"Precisely. I have a feeling it will be a fight none of us will…forget."

Naruto didn't reply. _Just what…is he saying…?_

"Well, I must be off." He extended his hand. "It was good seeing you, Naruto."

Naruto grasped his hand in response, and they shook. "Ditto."

They let go, and the Raikage turned around. "Good luck tomorrow." He said, his guards drawing back the drapes as he exited.

"W-wait!" Teuchi yelled. "Raikage, sir! You didn't even get your bowl!" There was no sign of him turning back, though.

"That was weird…" Sakura remarked.

"Meh," Naruto replied, turning around and offering her a hand. "Don't think about it. Let's get out of here."

-

A full moon was already shining high above the village in the starry sky. Sasuke saw it from his hospital window. He had recently been transferred over. God, he hated this place. He sat up with relative ease. He was hardly aching anymore, and he figured after a good night's sleep, he'd be good as new. He hopped out of bed, and propped his elbows against the window sill. He gazed up at the sky, and took a long whiff of the world outside his window.

"The night air," he remarked to himself, "always smells better when there's a full moon."

He had come to this conclusion a long time ago; before he had met Naruto, Kakashi and Sakura. Even before he had been left with nothing but a blood stained home. He quickly shook the thought out of his head, and looked back at the moon.

He extended an arm at it. "What I wouldn't give to just…" He clasped his fingers around white sphere, then let his arm drop back down to the window sill. He chuckled to himself. "God… What am I doing?"

"I dunno. What are you doing?"

Sasuke snapped his head in the direction the voice had come from. Kakashi was sitting on the on the awning below his window, his back propped against the wall, staring up at the stars.

Sasuke frowned. "How long have you been sitting their, Kakashi?"

"How long have you wanted to hold the moon in the palm of your hand?"

Sasuke gave a deep sigh. "I should've known you'd avoid a direct question."

Kakashi turned his head toward Sasuke. "I'm being serious Sasuke." He stood up, and just like Sasuke had done seconds earlier, he extended one of his arms to the moon. "Don't give up just because it seems impossible."

Sasuke stared at him. "You're scaring me, Kakashi…"

He heard Kakashi chuckle. "I am? Sorry about that…" He stuck his hands in his pockets, and walked the short distance to Sasuke's window. "So how're you feeling?"

Sasuke made a fist. "Great. I know I'll be ready tomorrow!"

Kakashi smiled through his mask. "That's good." He paused. "You know, your opponent tomorrow is Sengi. I know you saw his match against Gaara. He is incredibly strong. If you're not careful…" He trailed off.

Sengi's words from earlier slammed through Sasuke's system. _"Tomorrow. I'll kill you."_

"…I'll die, right?"

Kakashi leaned against the wall. "I can't reveal any details, but let's just say that fight could turn ugly rather quickly." Sasuke was silent. "Luckily, you still have the advantage. You got to see his fight and abilities, but he didn't get to see yours. You'll know what you're up against, while he'll be fighting blind." After a moment, Kakashi looked from him, to the sky.

"I don't understand," Sasuke finally replied. "In the forest, we were doomed. Those sound ninja had us on the ropes, and I'll admit… One beat me. We would've been killed if Sengi hadn't of shown up. He helped us, and didn't expect anything in return…" Sasuke sighed again. "And now he'll do anything just to win against me…?" He slammed his fist on the window sill. "I don't want to hurt him, Kakashi, but if he pushes me to hard…"

Kakashi didn't respond for a long time. "Other circumstances have arisen." He leaned off the wall and took a step forward. "I'm afraid that the Sengi you know is gone…" He looked back at Sasuke. "By any means…we must not let him battle against Naruto."

"You don't have to worry about that," Sasuke declared, his Sharingan glaring through the night. "I won't lose." Kakashi nodded, and vanished, leaving Sasuke to his thoughts.

-

The nicest hotel that the Village offers lies in the north western corner. It is a tall, red building that only the richest of tourists have the luxury of staying at. It is here that the Raikage is staying. In his room, the biggest suite available, which actually spans a whole floor, Sado, Rin and Sengi are waiting for him.

Rin is sprawled out on the couch, flipping through a magazine, and Sado is sitting in a chair at one of the tables lifting one of his many weights. Sengi is staring out the window closest to him.

"He's late," Rin suddenly said, sitting up on the couch. "What could he be _doing_?"

"Calm down, Rin." Sado replied, placing his weight on the floor, and wiping some of the sweat off his forehead. "He's the Raikage, after all, so I'm sure he's doing important business."

Snorting, Rin jumped off the couch, and walked over to them. "So, Sengi?" she asked. "You nervous about tomorrow? It's the big day!"

"Not a chance," Sengi said without even turning away from the window.

"Really?" Rin asked, stepping beside him. "I head you talked something pretty big today… It would be a shame if you couldn't hold up to it…"

"…Don't you worry about that…"

"But Sengi," Rin continued. "I'm your teammate. I'm supposed to worry about that kind of stuff. After all, you _barely_ beat the _One_ Tail…"

"Rin!" Sado spoke up.

"…so what makes you think you could even come close to beating the _Nine_-!"

"**Shut up!"** Sengi snapped, turning swiftly. Rin, surprised by his sudden movement fell to her feet. Sengi stood over her, panting heavily. His eyes were growing a dark green. **"I will defeat the Nine Tails! I will complete my mission! I **_**WILL **_**become the ultimate Jinchuriki!"**

"My, my, my…" A voice came from across the room. They all looked and found the Raikage standing in the doorway. "I wonder…" He spoke as he walked over to them. "Are you saying that, my dear Sengi… Or am I speaking to Sanbi?"

A low growl escaped from Sengi. **"I grow impatient, Raikage! When will I get what I want!?"**

The Raikage held up a hand. "Now, now… We'll both have what we desire _very_ soon. This, I can assure you…" He glanced at Rin. "But for now, you need to calm down. You've frightened poor Rin to the point that she can barely speak."

Sengi glanced down at Rin, who was shaking, her eyes widened in shock. **"My host has too many attachments…" **He looked to the Raikage once again. **"Here my warning, Raikage. If one of your miscalculations causes me to fail… I swear I'll come after you."**

In an instant, it felt as if a huge tightening air had been lifted from the room. Sengi collapsed to his knees, panting. He looked to his side. "Rin…" he spoke softly. He felt a tear escape his eye. Another. Soon he was crying. "I'm so sorry! Rin!"

The Raikage went down on one knee. "Now, now… It's okay, Sengi, you're okay."

"I… I couldn't control it." He tears just wouldn't stop. "He just won't listen to me!"

The Raikage placed a hand on Sengi's shoulder. "Soon, it will be different, Sengi. Soon he will be helpless to your whim." He squeezed Sengi's shoulder. "Soon you will be the most powerful ninja in existence!" Sengi's tears kept coming. "It just requires a bit more time!"

"No… No I don't want to do this anymore!" Sengi's words were half muffled by his sobs. "I don't want to use this _thing_! I don't want to hurt anyone else!"

The Raikage acted quickly. He put both hands on his shoulders and shook him slightly. "Sengi… Sengi! I promise it will all be over soon! I just need you to fight!" He shook Sengi again, this time, looking deep into his eyes. "Will you do that?! Will you fight for me?!"

Soon, the tears stopped, and Sengi looked down at the floor. After a long moment, he looked back up at the Raikage. He had a new found determination in his eyes, one that told the Raikage everything he needed to know.

"I will."

The Raikage nodded. "Good. Now go get some well deserved sleep." He helped Sengi back to his feet, and watched his back as he retreated to his room. Once he was out of earshot, and behind a closed door, they all took a sigh of relief. The Raikage immediately turned his attention to Rin. "You fool!" He snapped at her. "I don't know what you were thinking… Hell, I don't even know if you were thinking at all, but that was perhaps the stupidest thing I have _EVER_ seen!"

He took deep breathes after he was finished. Rin went down on all fours, and took a bow that put her forehead to the hardwood floor. "My deepest apologies, Lord Raikage!"

He motioned to her room. "To bed with you as well." She departed instantly, wanting to escape the whole situation. After they heard her door close, the Raikage turned to Sado.

"It's getting dangerous, Lord Raikage," Sado said. "Everyday it seems like the Bijuu is just becoming to much for him to bare."

The Raikage walked over to the window. The full moon was shining ever brightly. "I realize this, however, soon it will no longer matter. Our mission will be complete, and the Leaf Village will be left severely crippled." He turned toward Sado. "I found Naruto today," he said, glancing at his hand. "He's much stronger then we first anticipated."

"I had a feeling," Sado replied. "I'm throwing my match, tomorrow anyway, so don't be bothered about that. He _will_ enter the Finals against Sengi, I promise you."

The Raikage was nodding. "Good, Sado, good. I can always count on you." He sat down in a nearby chair. "Assuming Orochimaru comes through on his part of the deal, my victory is assured." He began to chuckle. "Little will Orochimaru know, as that he will be helping me obtain the most powerful weapon in the entire world!" He was laughing louder now. "Nothing will stand in my _way_!"

-

Naruto and Sakura were walking up the pathway to Sakura's house. They were on their way back from checking up on Sasuke at the hospital. Naruto's stomach was buzzing. The afternoon had gone so well.

"You know, Naruto," Sakura said when they reached her front door. "You didn't have to walk me home. I don't live that far away from the hospital, and you live in the other direction!" She giggled.

Naruto smiled. "I know I didn't have to…" he said. "But I wanted to."

Sakura face quickly turned a bright red, and she turned toward her door. "I-Is that so? Ha-ha…" She fumbled with her keys until she found the one she was looking for. Unlocking the door, she stepped inside. Turning around, she faced Naruto, the door entranceway separating them.

"Well… Good night." Naruto said bluntly.

"Yeah," Sakura replied. "How about we walk to the stadium together tomorrow? I'll come and get you…you know, so you won't be late…"

Naruto blushed. "I'd like that…"

They stood like that for another second or two, then Sakura did something surprising. She quickly leaned forward, gave herself a slight height elevation, and gave Naruto a quick kiss on the check. She stepped back just as quickly as she had done it, face as red as ever.

She gave him a sincere smile. "Bye-ya," she said, and slowly closed the door, leaving Naruto with a hand pressed to his check and a stupid expression on his face. After a moment, though, he turned around, and practically skipped off her property.

"YA-HOO!!!" He shouted into the night sky! Sakura, who was on her way up the stairs, hear it, and blushed again. _Idiot…_

Naruto was bounding towards his apartment. He couldn't stop grinning. _Did Sakura just do what I think she did? YES! She likes me, she really likes me! YES! YES! _

His apartment came into view, and he slowed down, still grinning. He didn't know what tomorrow would bring, and frankly, he didn't care. He was happy about today, and he did know one thing…

It would only go up from here.

**End of Chapter.**

**A/N: Arghh… Filler Chapter was a bit longer then I would have liked, but oh well… I hope it wasn't too unbearable for you all. Anyway, the Second Round will start next chap, but I'm not entirely sure when it will be up. I'm still in the process of its outline. Hopefully not to long… But I'm a senior now, thus time is really scarce. I don't want to make any promises. I'll update my profile every now and then with some progress.**

**Anyway, hope y'all's summer has been AWESOME!**

**Next Chapter:**

**I Thought You Said You Were Gonna' Kill Me**


	23. Thought You Said You Were Gonna' Kill Me

**Chapter 23**

**I Thought You Said You Were Gonna' Kill Me**

It was no surprise to Sasuke that the stadium would be filled with even more people then it was yesterday. He had figured all the hype from the matches would draw in more spectators, and he was right. He was making his way toward the bunker, all the while taking deep breathes. He couldn't stop thinking about his upcoming match with Sengi. He knew it would be tough, but he didn't want to overwhelm him. His plan was to end it as soon as possible.

He finally arrived at the bunker, and stepped inside. There was no one else there, and he found it odd at how hollow it suddenly felt. He walked to the opening, and peered down at the arena. It looked as if no one had ever stepped foot on it. Whoever repaired it did a good job. He snapped his head to the right, and saw Naruto with Sakura talking to Shikamaru, Ino and Choji. He had thought he sensed Naruto over there.

They were laughing, and it looked as if they were having an all around good time. He noticed Sakura standing a little closer to Naruto then she normally would. He raised an eyebrow at this. He activated his Sharingan, and inspected it further. With his eyes, he saw her every hesitation, her every glance, her slightest shift in movement toward Naruto. He smirked, and closed his eyes. _Well… It's about time. _

When he opened his eyes again, he saw Naruto departing from the group with his usual grin and wave. At that very same moment, however, he heard footsteps behind him. He tensed. They became louder, and they were close enough that he could now distinguish that it was two different pair of steps. Soon, he heard them enter the room behind him. He tightened his hand into a fist as it rested on the waist high bar that marked the bunker's boundary.

"Hello… Sasuke."

He turned his head and looked behind him, his long bangs partly obscuring his face. As he thought, both Sengi and Sado were standing just inside the entryway. Sado was wearing pretty much the same thing from the other day, but Sengi was in a completely new attire. It consisted of long, green pants with what looked like no pockets. He was also wearing a tan shirt with long sleeves. His hand band was tied securely around his right forearm. Although Sasuke hadn't noticed it yesterday, Sengi's brown hair was considerably shaggier then it had been when they first met.

Sasuke didn't reply to his greeting. He turned his head back around, and looked back down at the arena.

"How rude," was Sengi's quick reply. Sasuke felt a hand grasp his shoulder, and he quickly turned in Sengi's direction, slapping his hand away.

"Back up," Sasuke said coldly.

Sengi narrowed his eyes and took a step forward. A kunai materialized in his hand as if from nowhere. Sasuke frowned, and drew his own kunai, taking a step toward Sengi in turn. A big, tall figure stepped between them, his back facing Sasuke. It was Sado.

"This is not the time, Sengi!" He began taking steps forward, forcing Sengi to take steps backward, putting distance between him and Sasuke. "Calm down!"

Sasuke heard Sengi spit. "Don't interfere!" Sasuke stared at them. Sengi was acting differently then he normally was.

Sasuke's eyes widened as he watched Sado pin Sengi against the bunker's right wall. "You're drawing unnecessary attention! You're match will start soon…!"

Sasuke saw Sengi breathing heavily. Sado let go of him, and he slid to the floor; however, he must have said something Sasuke couldn't hear, because Sado immediately stepped back with fright. Silence drifted over the three of them. Sasuke felt a cool bead of sweat drip down his face. He hadn't been this excited before a battle since his spar with Naruto on the hospital roof those months ago. He smirked.

As if on cue, Naruto burst into the bunker. "Alright! Who's ready for some awesome matches!?" No one replied. Naruto's grin soon fell. "O…kay…" He moved over to Sasuke, his face becoming serious. "What's with this atmosphere…?"

Sasuke smiled at him and leaned against the rail. "Don't worry about it." He glanced up at the sky. "It's about time…"

Suddenly, the proctor appeared out of nowhere, crouching on the railing next to Sasuke. Naruto stepped back in surprise. The proctor gave them a small wave. "Hello, everyone." They all murmured a response, but the proctor didn't seem to care. "Alright," he said. "Let's go ahead and get started. The crowd's getting a little impatient." He gave them a small chuckle that no one returned. His chuckle turned into a small cough, and he scratched the back of his head nervously. "Okay, Sasuke, Sengi. Let's go." He back flipped off the railing, Sasuke and Sengi following close behind him.

Tsunade had stood up by the time they had landed. "I'd like to welcome all of you to the second day of this Third Chunin Exam!" She smiled. "Now without further ado, let it begin!" She sat back down, and all attention became focused on Sasuke and Sengi. The proctor looked between the two of them.

"Today's first match will be between Sasuke Uchiha and Sengi from the Hidden Cloud Village!" His voice boomed and echoed around the stadium, but he lowered it as he addressed the two of them. "The rules are the same as yesterday," he explained. "That is, there are no rules. You'll both fight until one of you gives up or dies." He sighed as if the explanation was getting old. "That being said, I can step in and stop the match if a clear winner has been decided. We don't want any unnecessary deaths, right?"

A smirk slowly spread across Sengi's face. "Absolutely not."

The proctor nodded and raised his hand. "Good. Now, if you both understand… May the first match of the day…" He quickly swung his hand down. "Begin!" He jumped away from them just as Sasuke tossed a kunai at Sengi, who ducked under it. Without wasting any time, Sengi rushed at Sasuke, fist drawn back. Sasuke stepped back. He was already to close to dodge, so as Sengi released his punch, aimed toward Sasuke's gut, Sasuke blocked it with his knee.

Sengi grunted in frustration, and did a quick flip right over Sasuke. Sasuke turned his body in time with the flip, keeping up with Sengi's every move. As soon as he had landed, Sengi aimed a kick right at Sasuke's chest, but it was blocked with relative ease. Sasuke took Sengi's foot, and tossed it away, putting Sengi off balance. Sasuke took the opportunity and rushed forward, giving Sengi a quick right jab meant for his face. Sengi used his unstable footing to his advantage, however, and just fell to the ground, catching himself with his hands and avoided the attack.

He pushed himself off the ground, and twisted in the air, landing a good bit away from Sasuke. Both he and Sasuke lowered themselves into stances. The crowd was on its feet the whole time.

Sasuke smirked. Sengi was just as good as he had thought. None of his movements were wasted. He grabbed a kunai from his holster and twirled it in his hand. He threw it into the surface of the ground as he went on one knee and made hand signs. Sengi noticed and began to move toward him, but to no avail because Sasuke was already done. He raised his right hand to his mouth.

"Fire Style: Phoenix Flower Jutsu!" He blew, and fireballs immediately sprung from his mouth. He blew two at Sengi as he ran toward him, but Sengi sidestepped. He blew another one, but it was again dodged. Sengi was inching ever closer, so this time Sasuke blew four fireballs in quick succession. Sengi jumped into the air to avoid them, while Sasuke lowered his hands. In one swift movement, Sasuke grabbed the kunai that was embedded at his feet, and threw it at Sengi. Sengi gasped and drew his own kunai to block it, catching it with his free hand before it fell.

Sasuke frowned as Sengi landed unharmed and in the possession of an extra kunai knife. _Well that could've gone better…_ He thought grimly. Sengi threw his first kunai, but Sasuke rolled. Once he stopped, he tried to focus on Sengi again, but he wasn't there. Sasuke looked from right to left, but found nothing. Then it hit him. He snapped his head above him just in time to find Sengi had thrown the second kunai. Sasuke jumped back from his position on the ground, barely avoiding the blade. He smiled, but it quickly faded. He glanced up to see Sengi had just finished performing hand signs, and had aimed his index and middle fingers at him.

_Shit!_

"Ninja Art: Lightning Strike!" Sasuke immediately jumped back as quickly as he could, and saw the lightning crackle, striking where he just stood. He landed and stared at the now blackened part of the ground, smoke rising from its charred surface. _Those things, _Sasuke concluded, _could really hurt. _

Sengi wasn't done yet. Still in the air, he proceeded to do more hand signs. Once again, he pointed his fingers at Sasuke, and once again, lightning glided out of his finger tips. Sasuke quickly did a back flip to avoid the attack. When he landed, he found Sengi not even a foot away, fist drawn back. He gasped in surprise. He hadn't even noticed he had gotten so close!

_Wham!_

Sengi's fist collided directly with Sasuke's face. The punch forced Sasuke back, but he managed to stay on his feet. Sengi smirked, already in the process of making new signs. _Damn it! _Sasuke thought desperately, rushing forward. Too late. Sengi's hands separated, and he stomped the ground with his right foot. Sasuke stopped short as he saw the ground begin to crack. Bits of electricity could be seen jumping from spots in the ground to others, inching their way closer to Sasuke. He began to jump backward, trying to put as much distance in-between him and the electricity.

Just when he thought he was safe, the electricity swarmed from the ground and arched toward Sasuke. Cursing, he jumped into the air, the electricity almost skimming over the bottom of his feet. He focused his attention back to Sengi, eyes widening in surprise. Sengi's hands were just breaking away, yet again, from more hand signs. Sasuke noticed he was raising his right arm.

_No!_

-

"No!" Sakura yelled. She had just witnessed the whole thing from her seat in the stands. She knew that Sengi was about to shoot another lightning bolt at Sasuke, who was now helpless in the air. She felt Ino and Chouji tense beside her, and Shikamaru, who was sitting on her other side, shook his head. Sakura noticed Sasuke reaching into his weapon's pouch with what little time he had left. What was he thinking!?

"Sasuke!" Ino yelled frantically. "Please move!"

"He's gonna' shoot more lightning!" Chouji added.

"No good," Shikamaru concluded. "He can't do anything in that situation!"

Sakura closed her eyes, and hoped for the best.

-

Sasuke quickly reached into his weapons pouch, found the two kunai he was looking for, and threw them down with all his might. He watched as they embedded into the ground.

"Ninja Art," Sengi yelled as Sasuke pulled. "Lightning Strike!"

The lightning that Sengi shot out of his fingers hit nothing but the stadium wall that stood opposite him. A look of confusion passed across his face, but it was quickly replaced by anger. Sasuke was kneeling safely on the ground in-between his two kunai.

"How dare you dodge that!" Sengi spat. "How _fucking_ dare you!"

Sasuke closed his eyes as he stood up. Smiling at Sengi, he flashed him the almost invisible wire that was wound around his hand. It glistened in the sunlight. Sengi spat at the ground, glancing up at the sky. After all the work he had done to put Sasuke in that situation, and he manages to dodge it! As much as Sengi hated it, he also had to admit it had been clever. Embedding the kunai into the ground, and using them as a weight to pull _himself_ back to the ground with the wire. Sengi smiled. This was going to be much more interesting then he had thought.

He looked back at Sasuke, who hadn't moved. _Fine then! I'll attack! _But no sooner had he begun to do hand signs, he stopped to avoid a kunai that had been thrown. He got into a stance, and looked at Sasuke again.

"Sorry," Sasuke said casually, beginning to walk toward him. "But I'm not going to let you use those lightning attacks anymore." He opened his eyes and glared straight at Sengi, who flinched. His eyes had turned a cold, blood red with black markings. They made Sengi uncomfortable. Just as casually as he had spoken, Sasuke did three quick hand signs, and raised the second kunai to his lips. He blew a small flame down the length of the blade, and it caught fire. He was holding a flaming kunai!

Sasuke suddenly rushed forward, and Sengi stepped back in surprise. Sasuke thrust when he reached him, and Sengi barely managed to avoid it, the flame trickling by his body. Sengi didn't have time to counter though, because Sasuke delivered a quick kick to his back, which caused him to stumble forward. Sasuke didn't waste a second here, either, as he quickly followed up with his kunai, slashing Sengi's left shoulder.

"Argh!" Sengi faltered, but managed to kick himself away from Sasuke. He landed on one knee, clutching his shoulder. _Damn… What's with those eyes?His movements are totally different now! Looks like about as good a time as ever… _He began to rapidly perform hand signs, all the while looking at Sasuke. Sasuke looked at him for second, but then gasped as the dark clouds, thunder, and lightning flashed through his head.

He rushed forward, flaming kunai held out to his side. _No! I cannot let him do this! I absolutely can't let him pull this jutsu off! _Sengi noticed his movement, and began to jump backward, hands still performing sign after sign. Almost within reach, Sasuke jumped forward, kunai poised for attack, but Sengi smirked, and slammed his hand onto the ground before rolling out of the way of Sasuke's strike.

Sasuke cursed as the sound of thunder began to bellow around them. The smirk that Sengi was wearing across his face only made him angrier. He charged forward as thunder sounded again. Sengi dodged his two kunai slices, and jumped back as Sasuke threw his still flaming kunai. Sengi landed to avoid it, but not soon enough, as it sliced the right side of his stomach.

Lightning crackled above them as Sasuke broke away from the hand signs he had begun to do right after he threw the kunai. Sengi gasped as a blue ball of electricity formed in Sasuke's palm, and a loud chirping filled the stadium. _What in the hell is that? _He didn't have time to ponder it, however, because Sasuke was already charging forward with it. Sengi took a step back, glancing up at the sky. Sasuke barely noticed it! He quickly jumped to the left as a bolt of lightning struck the ground from the sky. His eyes widened in shock, but he continued forward, the thunder becoming even louder.

Lightning struck again, this time, almost striking Sasuke. This was bad. He had to reach Sengi quickly! No sooner had he thought about it, a third bolt of lightning shot from the dark sky. It was far away from Sasuke, but it _was_ going to hit…

…Sengi went on one knee as the lightning collided with his head. It soon vanished, and left Sengi panting. Sasuke was almost upon him now! The thunder's rumbling faded away, and Sasuke raised his Chidori to strike! But Sengi suddenly raised his head, eyes open wide. He lifted his right hand, and caught Sasuke's wrist that held his Chidori, stopping Sasuke in his tracks! With incredible strength, he pushed Sasuke back, getting back off the ground as he did so. As he pushed Sasuke back, both of them holding the Chidori in place, Sasuke noticed Sengi's left index and middle fingers coming up along with his left arm. Sasuke reacted quickly, and caught Sengi's own left hand, redirecting it toward the sky just as lightning shot from his fingers.

They stood like that for a while, both pushing against the other. The Chidori was still chirping, and Sengi was still shooting lightning in random directions above them. They were glaring at each other the whole time. Sasuke was surprised to find that Sengi's eyes had now turned a light green, and that they were both now without pupils. _What in the hell happened to his eyes? _Sasuke thought. _Why are they suddenly so… _He couldn't think of the word.

They struggled like that for a couple of moments longer until, finally, Sasuke closed his hand around his Chidori, canceling it and surprising Sengi enough to kick him out of his grasp. Sengi didn't go far though, and before Sasuke knew it, he jumped forward, and landed a blow right to Sasuke's jaw, knocking him to the ground. Before Sasuke even had time to respond, Sengi was on top of him, grabbing his collar, and throwing him toward the nearest stadium wall. Sasuke landed against it with a thud, but recovered, and landed back on his feet, facing Sengi once again.

Sengi was already moving! He shot a lightning bolt at Sasuke, who barely managed to avoid it. Sengi shot another! He ducked! Another! He rolled. Another! He jumped, all the while getting closer to Sengi. Sengi must not have noticed, as Sasuke's punch surprised him. He blocked it, and countered with a punch of his own. Sasuke ducked under it, and kicked Sengi in the stomach. Grunting, Sengi stepped back, but quickly dropped to his hands, and supporting himself, aimed both his feet at Sasuke, who didn't have enough time to block. The kicks hit him square in the face, and he was forced backward, landing hard on the ground.

In no time, Sengi was above him, preparing to slam into him with all his might. Sasuke thought quickly, and threw a kunai at Sengi, who surprisingly didn't move. The kunai dug into his shoulder, but Sengi continued the attack, landing on Sasuke with all his weight. Sasuke yelled, coughing up blood. Sengi jumped off of him and landed a few feet away, panting. He slowly pulled the kunai from his shoulder, and tossed it to the ground. He couldn't help but smirk.

Sasuke stayed as he was, staring up at the dark clouds. What was going on? How was Sengi so much stronger and so much more responsive? Was it really these clouds? No… Sasuke had a feeling that it was something more then just that. He could hear the crowd was beginning to murmur amongst themselves, and his vision of the clouds was suddenly obscured by the proctor's face.

"Sasuke…" the proctor began, looking at him with confused eyes. "Are you forfeiting this match?" Sasuke stared at him for a second before glancing at the bunker. Naruto was practically hanging over the railing.

"Sasuke!" he was yelling. "You better not quit! If you quit, I'll kick your ass! Remember what you said!? We're going to fight in the finals!"

Sasuke felt his lips form a small smile. _As if I was planning on quitting! _He jumped to his feet, smirking at the proctor. "Of course not!"

And with that, Sasuke rushed forward. Sengi had been half expecting it, and kicked as Sasuke got into reach, but Sasuke blocked it easily, almost as if he had been expecting it… He delivered a swift punch to Sengi's chest, and quickly tripped him off his feet. Sengi barely managed to catch himself with his hands, though, and launched a kick to Sasuke's face. Without so much as glancing in the direction of the attack, he blocked it with his arm, and kicked Sengi in the face, knocking him away.

Sengi landed, and just managed to avoid a kunai Sasuke had thrown. But before he knew it, Sasuke was in front of him, kneeing him in the stomach, punching him in the face, kicking him in the side, and throwing him to the ground. Sengi coughed and rolled away; Sasuke didn't pursue him. As he got to his feet, he quickly shot lightning at Sasuke, who merely leaned his head to the side as it passed by harmlessly. Sengi gasped, and stepped backward, shooting more lightning.

Sasuke ducked under it this time, drew a kunai, and rushed forward at a blinding speed. Sengi tossed shuriken but Sasuke was too quick to be hit by that as well. Sengi was beginning to sweat as Sasuke came closer, and drew a kunai of his own to defend himself. It didn't matter. In one swift movement, Sasuke had knocked his kunai out of his hand, kicked him to the ground, and was standing over him, kunai pointed firmly at his face.

Sengi could only stare open-eyed and openmouthed, more sweat dripping down his face. What had just happened? Was this still the same person? Sasuke flipped his long bangs out of his face, revealing those red eyes to Sengi once again. Sengi stared for a second, and then gasped.

"What...? What the hell?"

Both of Sasuke's eyes, slowly began to shape, and a new black mark appeared around what Sengi guessed was the pupil. He wasn't sure, but what he was sure of was that there were now three marks circling around it; not two. They seemed to be looking into Sengi's very soul! Sasuke smirked, shifting slightly.

"What's the matter?" Sasuke asked coldly. "I thought you said you were gonna' kill me."

Sengi frowned. "M-Make no mistake! I will!"

He quickly wrapped his legs around Sasuke's, but Sasuke jumped away, obviously expecting it. He landed, but quickly jumped to the side, sensing lightning. He had been right; lighting passed by where he had just been. Sengi was on his feet again, staggering slightly from the blows Sasuke had dealt. Sasuke watched him intently. He was raising his right arm, index and middle fingers extended, straight in front of him. Or at least…he was going to. He seemed to be moving almost in slow motion. Sasuke watched the arm rise, and stepped to the side as it reached its mark.

_Crack!_

The lightning missed! Just like Sasuke knew it would! He smirked as he moved forward, watching Sengi again. He saw every twitch of a finger, every movement of the limbs, and every shift of the muscles! Sengi was hesitating. Sasuke's eyes widened. What was this? Sengi's knees were buckling, and his whole body was bending with them. Sasuke pondered it for just a moment before realization slammed through his system.

_He's going to jump!_

He reached into his weapon pouch, and grabbed one of his special kunai. He clasped his fingers around it, carefully untying the wire, and skillfully wrapping it around his hand in no time at all, all the while not looking away from Sengi. He finished just as Sengi was lifting off the ground.

_The angle his knees inclined combined with the force he pushed off the ground with along with the wind and the position of his arms puts him… _He looked above Sengi, and almost saw an outline of the path he had determined him to take. He scanned, and found it! _…right there!_

He threw the kunai as Sengi fully lifted off the ground. They met each other in the air at perfect synchronization in the exact spot Sasuke had predicted. Sengi had no time to react, and the kunai impaled his gut. He yelled, and Sasuke watched as he coughed up blood. Whatever plan he had hatched before he jumped was gone now.

But Sasuke wasn't done yet. Tugging hard on the wire attached to the kunai he had just thrown, a surprised Sengi found himself plummeting back toward the ground, and more specifically, to Sasuke. Sasuke continued to pull, and stepped , drawing his spare fist back. He watched Sengi with his eyes; he was to bewildered to do anything.

_WHAM!_

The sound of Sasuke's fist colliding with Sengi's face echoed throughout the hushed stadium. The force of Sasuke's attack sent Sengi flying across the arena, snapping the wire Sasuke had wrapped around is hand in two. He slammed into the stadium wall, clearly leaving a crater from his impact. He stayed in the wall for a bit before slowly falling from the hole he had created and hitting the hard ground with a thud. He wasn't moving.

The proctor was kneeling above him almost immediately. Sasuke took a step back from where he had been standing, dropped down to one knee, and took a deep breath. He stared at his now red hand. _These eyes… _He thought. The crowd was going ballistic at the show they had just seen. He glanced toward the bunker, catching Naruto's eye. He shot him a thumbs-up, and Sasuke, a tad embarrassed, soon returned it. He noticed Sado was staring openmouthed at Sengi. Even with his Sharingan, Sasuke couldn't really tell what kind of emotion he was wearing on his face. Confusion? Distraught?

He glanced up at the Kage's balcony, and saw Tsunade smiling down at him and clapping for him. He also found Kakashi had taken up a place beside her seat. He was clapping as well, and nodded at him. Sasuke grinned, but he also noticed the Raikage had stood from his chair and was staring down at Sengi intently. His eyes showed complete shock.

"Yeah! Way to go, Sasuke!" Sasuke glanced behind him, and his Sharingan almost immediately found Sakura standing in front of her seat, clapping wildly along with Ino and Chouji. He smiled at them before turning back to look at Sengi. The proctor was already walking to the middle of the battle hardened arena. He grinned at the crowd.

"Ladies and Gentlemen! The winner of the first match of the semi-finals, by knockout, is-"

"_**NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!"**_

Sasuke's eyes widened in shock. The proctor stopped short and spun around as the crowd immediately hushed. That had definitely come from Sengi! Slowly, Sasuke watched as streams of dark green chakra sprang up from his body, twisting and tangling around him. Sasuke suddenly felt an almost constricting, evil presence leak into the air. The green chakra was moving more frantically now, and (Sasuke couldn't believe it!) Sengi was actually sitting up, and staggering back to his feet!

_This can't be right! _Sasuke thought desperately, getting back to his own feet. _There's no way this can actually be happening! _He watched Sengi straighten himself up. _But wait…_ _This is exactly what he did to combat Gaara when he went all berserk during their match! This green chakra… _A thought suddenly passed through his head. _Hang on!_ He glanced toward the bunker. Naruto was watching Sengi with a serious face.

He looked back to Sengi, who was now completely on his feet, and facing Sasuke. His hair was a lot shaggier then it had been just moments ago, and…were those small claws at his fingertips? The green chakra was surrounding the outline of his body, and Sasuke noticed that his eyes had turned dark green, and they had shrunk down to the size of a small coin. The proctor, as well as everyone else in the stadium, was speechless. Everyone except Sengi.

"**NO! I **_**won't**_** accept this! I **_**refuse**_** to except this! I knew Sengi would be too **_**weak**_** to handle someone like you, Uchiha, but I gave him his shot just like he asked! I swear if he complains about me taking over I'll **_**completely**_** shut him out!" **Sengi laughed as the proctor looked up at Tsunade. His laugh soon faded; however, and he looked at Sasuke with killer intent. **"Now…Are you ready for round two?" **Before Sasuke or his Sharingan even had time to react, Sengi was gone. Only two foot-sized craters were left where he had been standing.

Sasuke stepped back. _What?! _

In a fraction of a second he felt a fist collide with his stomach with such force he doubled over on top of it. He tried to yell in pain but only coughed up blood instead. There had not been normal human strength behind that punch!

Sengi lifted Sasuke up in the air so they were face to face. Sasuke flinched, coughing up more blood. Sengi was smirking an evil smirk, and Sasuke could tell he was serious about this. He really wanted to hurt him. Sasuke felt himself shaking. Was he actually afraid?

"**Oh make no mistake," **Sengi said. **"I **_**will**_** kill you. That much **_**hasn't**_** changed!"**

Sengi tossed Sasuke away, and before he had even touched the ground, he was kicked into the stadium wall. "Argh!" He grunted as he hit it, but as much pain as he was in, he managed to catch himself as he landed on the ground. He staggered to his feet at the foot of the wall, watching Sengi intently. He watched as Sengi pulled the kunai out of his stomach that Sasuke had embedded there, and toss it away. Slowly, to Sasuke's disbelief, the wound that it left behind suddenly began to steam, and evaporate, eliminating the blood, the torn tissue, everything! It was as if nothing had been there! Sasuke coughed, dropping into a stance. _He just got two lucky punches off when I wasn't ready is all… _He smiled. _As long as I have these eyes, nothing can stop me!_

-

"Lady Tsunade, _please_! This battle cannot continue!"

Tsunade looked from Kakashi to Sengi, obviously pondering what to do. The Raikage, who had just sat back down, cleared his throat.

"If I may interject," he said calmly, grabbing Tsunade's attention. "I don't really see the problem in stopping a match that in no way needs to be stopped…"

Kakashi pointed a finger at him, invoking a shift in his bodyguard's position. "He has unleashed his Bijuu chakra without any consent! He could rampage out of control at any moment!"

The Raikage stared at him dead-faced. "Oh, then I suppose we should have stopped Naruto's match when he released his Kyuubi chakra…"

Kakashi took a step back, a lot of his momentum gone. "But, that was different," he said hopelessly.

"In what way? He was having trouble during his match, so he unleashed his red chakra to help him win." He looked back down at the arena. "Tell me? In what way is Sengi in the wrong?" He turned back to Tsunade, looking deep into her eyes. "Hmm?"

Tsunade stared back at the Raikage, her thoughts taking shape. But she was confused. Was she shaping them? She thought so, but… Yeah. They were her thoughts! Who else's could they be? "He is in no way in the wrong." Kakashi narrowed his eyes at the Raikage. Something wasn't right.

-

"**Here I come!"**

Sasuke was ready. He watched as Sengi's movements became crystal clear. He wasn't moving as slow as he had been before, but that shouldn't matter. Step after step, he was moving straight ahead, and then Sasuke noticed his feet beginning to shift. _He's going to change direction… _He waited a half beat. _…too his left! _It was true! He soon had changed direction, going to the left, coming up on Sasuke's right side. _He's trying to flank me… _Sasuke's Sharingan followed his every movement. He saw his fist beginning to draw back, and he was gaining speed. _He's going to punch me…_ Sasuke quickly raised his right hand to block, and redirected the punch off to the side. _Yes! _But it wasn't over yet. A smirk spread across Sengi's face. Sasuke's Sharingan focused on his feet. _His left foot's shifting in stance… He's following into my block! He'll twist, and…! _

Sengi twisted with his redirected arm, following into a new stance, and swinging the back of his left forearm around. Sasuke ducked, and aimed a nice punch to Sengi's face. Sasuke noticed his knees incline, but it was too late to stop his punch. He followed through, hitting nothing, but he didn't falter. He knew Sengi had jumped, so he quickly grabbed four shuriken and threw them up at Sengi. Sengi smirked.

"**ARGH!!!!"**

Sengi had taken a deep breath and yelled. His voice and chakra were so strong he actually redirected the shuriken back at Sasuke who could only put his hands up to block. They cut into his sides. _Agh! Damn! _

Sengi landed, and was already rushing at Sasuke again. Sasuke watched as he ran straight forward, fist drawn back; no changing direction this time. He shook off the pain from the shuriken, bent his knees slightly, and waited. His Sharigan saw everything he needed to see. _He'll fall into the punch when he gets two steps away from me…_

Sasuke waited, and when Sengi was two steps away, he weaved around the punch, lifting himself up on Sengi's outstretched arm as support, and flipped over him. When he landed, he lifted his leg, preparing to kick but anticipated that Sengi was going to jump away. He began to do hand signs while he kicked, and as Sengi jumped away, he finished.

"Fire Style: Chimera Flame!"

He moved his head in a circle as he blew fire, causing the fire to swirl as it traveled at its quick pace. Sengi looked back to find it, but not quick enough. It wrapped itself in a spiral around him, spinning frantically. Whenever Sengi moved, it moved with him, not touching him, but not leaving him either. It wasn't an attacking jutsu, it was a prison jutsu. Sengi was trapped.

Sasuke smirked. He had finally done it. Sengi wouldn't be getting out of that for a while. _About time, too. I'm completely exhaust-_

_SWOOSH!_

The flames became disruptive, spinning violently, and not in a coherent fashion. In the blink of an eye, Sengi had actually _jumped _out of the flames! He landed, some of the flames still licking his body, but again, that steam appeared evaporating any burn he got straight away. Sasuke's Chimera jutsu faded, and it was once again, just the two of them.

Sengi laughed. **"Now I see why Sengi had so much trouble with you, Uchiha. You're pretty good!"**

Sasuke stared in confusion. "What are you talking about? Aren't _you_ Sengi?"

Sengi only laughed as he raised his arm. Sasuke eyes widened in realization, and he ducked just as the lightning passed over his head. _Wait! Was that lightning _green_?_ He glanced back up at Sengi and found his arm was still raised; Sasuke automatically moved. Sengi didn't fire again, though. Instead, he stomped the ground, and just like before, it began to crack and shake as electricity moved through it. Without thinking, Sasuke jumped, just like he had last time, to avoid it. In the air, he realized his mistake. He glanced at Sengi and found him raising his arm to his level.

_Oh no! _

Sasuke glanced behind him as he dug into his weapons pouch, grabbing one of those kunai with wire. He smiled, and turned back around only to find himself face to face with Sengi. His heart sank as he realized his _real_ mistake… _Thinking_ he had made a mistake… Sengi raised both his arms, and with no time to react, Sasuke took the attack, and was slammed into the earth. A dust cloud covered him as Sengi landed just outside of it, staring at the spot he had hit Sasuke to.

Sasuke lay on his back, almost motionless with pain. He coughed up blood, and he couldn't feel his back. His body ached all over. _Does it really matter if I can predict his movements if I can't counter him? And when he actually _does_ hit me, it hurts this much?_ He tried to look up at the sky, but could only see dirt and dust. He coughed again. Was this it? Was this as far as he could go?

"No!"

No?

"Sasuke, you can't quit! I know you can still win!" Naruto's voice. "I know because I'm gonna' fight you in the finals, remember!? Don't make me have to avenge your defeat!"

Sasuke smiled sadly. "Shut up… Stupid idiot…moron…loser…" Grunting, he slowly pulled himself into a sitting position, putting his hands together to make a single hand sign. "No one said I was going to lose!"

-

Sakura was on the edge of her seat. It was amazing how Sasuke could just turn it around like he had been able to do. But what Sengi did scared her. What was that green chakra? And why did she suddenly get afraid every time she looked at him? She'd be lying if she said she wasn't worried about Sasuke, but still, they way he was holding his own against the new, strong, fast, smart, Sengi was…incredible.

Ino expressed her feeling a bit differently.

"YEAH SASUKE! YOU'RE NUMBER ONE!" Or, "OH MY GOD! LOOK OUT!" Or, "HOLY CRAP! KICK HIS ASS!"

"Not that Sasuke really needs it!" She constantly reminded Sakura. Chouji was basically the same, but Sakura noticed that Shikamaru was watching the match almost as if is life depended on it. He was taking in every detail, every aspect, and every movement. She didn't really know why, and she felt that asking might be a little rude.

But Sasuke just took a major attack. She was taken aback when he got slammed into the ground like that, and now, she couldn't even see him. Her heart soared when she heard Naruto's voice though. She figured he was talking to Sasuke, and she wasn't really paying attention to what he was saying, but she didn't care. _Naruto_ was _talking_.

After a moment or two, when his voice stopped, and all the attention was focused back on the dust cloud that had surrounded Sasuke, everyone went quiet.

_Whoosh…!_

The dust cleared away, and was replaced by purple chakra. It was wavering around Sasuke, who was back on his feet. Sakura gasped as the black markings covered his right arm and the right side of his face. She had been worried about those marks yesterday when he was fighting Deadaru, but she and Naruto had found Kakashi yesterday in town and had talked to him about it. Apparently he could control that curse mark now, and use it as an advantage. She found it hard to believe and wanted to speak up about how dangerous it was, but bit back her tongue.

The look on Sengi's face was priceless! He looked like a sad, lost puppy trying to find his way home. _I bet he thought he had won! _Sakura thought triumphantly_. I bet he thought Sasuke wasn't going to get back up!_

Ino and Chouji were back on their feet, cheering for Sasuke, and Shikamaru was back to observing the battle even harder then he was before, if it was possible. It had finally peeked Sakura's interest. She cleared her throat.

"Shikamaru…?"

"Huh?" He replied, not taking his eyes off of Sasuke, who was now walking towards Sengi.

"What are you doing, really?" She laughed nervously. "I mean, you've been watching the battle so keenly…but why?"

Shikamaru replied with a bit of humor and impatience in his voice. "I'm taking mental notes." He glanced at her. "I feel as if this battle is just getting started…"

-

No sooner had Kakashi felt the burn on his arm, the smoke cleared, revealing Sasuke with his active curse mark. He glanced at the Raikage, who was watching Sasuke and his purple chakra. He shifted in his seat. Kakashi frowned behind his mask. "Lady Tsunade," he said. "I feel that this match could get out of hand! If Sasuke's activated his Curse Mark, it means he knows he can't win without it…"

Tsunade didn't reply, but the Raikage said, "So…? I assure you Sengi will stay under control, and as long as Sasuke keeps that…_thing_ under his ego, they should be fine."

Tsunade shook her head. "No, I agree with Kakashi. We have innocent people here. Whether they keep in control is not the issue. It's our responsibility to make sure it doesn't get to that point."

Kakashi sighed a sigh of relief, and looked back down at Sasuke, who surprisingly, was looking up at him. His Sharigan narrowed, and Kakashi flinched. _That's right… He probably read Tsunade's lips just now… Putting two and two together… _He glanced over at Tsunade, who was standing up. _Damn it. This'll look bad. _

"Please, Tsunade," the Raikage was saying. "Don't ruin Sengi's chance over something like this!"

"I've made my decision, Lord Raikage." She was about to motion to the proctor, but Kakashi caught her arm. Tsunade looked up at him in shock. "Kakashi! What are you doing?"

"It's alright. We have to let this match continue." Tsunade was flabbergasted. He glanced at Sasuke. "Sasuke and I were talking this morning. He made me promise that we would only stop this match if we absolutely had to, and that I personally go down there and stop it, myself." He looked back at the Hokage. "Please. I know I'm contradicting myself…But he thinks of Sengi as a strong opponent, and he wants to test his strength." He shook his head. "As his mentor, I can't go back on my word… I'm sorry."

Tsunade stared at him for a long moment, then Sasuke and Sengi, and then back at Kakashi again. She looked as if she wanted to say a million things at once, but she frowned and ended up not saying anything; only sitting down. "Very well, Kakashi," she finally did say. "I'm putting my faith in you, as Hokage. Step in when you feel that Sasuke feels it is necessary, if it comes to that." She still looked kind of frustrated. "I trust you," she finished. "And I will trust in Sasuke as well."

Kakashi bowed. "Thank you, Lady Tsunade. I assure you, not a single person will die during this battle." He stepped back beside her, focusing his attention back toward the match.

_You hear that, Sasuke? _He thought. _She trusts in you because she trusts in me... So I will trust in myself because I trust you. You know what to do when you want me to intervene. _

-

The dust that had cleared away had not clouded Sasuke's Sharingan, and now, Sengi's killer gaze no longer clouded his thoughts. He had been afraid that Kakashi was going to go back on his word, but only _just_, and as it turned out, there had been nothing to fear. He trusted Kakashi to make the right decisions. Sengi was shifting his weight from side to side, not taking his eyes off Sasuke or his new, strange purple chakra.

"**So…it seems you have a couple of secretes of your own as well…" **Sengi remarked.

Sasuke clenched his fists, the power of the Curse Mark pulsing through his veins. Once again, he couldn't figure out if he actually enjoyed it, or if that too was the Curse Mark's doing.

"Are you surprised?" he finally replied.

Sengi laughed. **"Oh! I **_**like**_** you, Uchiha, I **_**really**_** do!" **His laughter faded. **"It's just…too bad you're going to die here…"**

In a flash, Sengi was in front of him, and delivered a punch intended for Sasuke's stomach, but Sasuke caught his fist. Sengi looked surprised. He jerked his fist away, and tried to elbow Sasuke in the face, but once again, Sasuke caught the attack with his fist. He smirked and tossed the elbow away, along with Sengi. Sasuke rushed forward and punched, Sengi made to block, but the Sharingan saw it, causing Sasuke to redirect his punch. Sengi noticed, and just barely managed to dodge it.

They jumped back from each other, and as soon as the touched the ground, jumped _towards_ each other again, both drawing a fist back. They both punched at the same time, and while their fists normally would have collided, with the aid of Sasuke's Sharingan, he anticipated the act, and buckled his knees just in time to shift his body so he avoided Sengi's fist. He straightened up, though, and with the added momentum, managed to punch Sengi directly in the face.

It sent him backward, but he twisted in the air, catching himself, and landed on his feet. To his frustration, Sasuke saw the bruise he had just left slowly evaporate away.

"**Not bad…" **Sengi said, wiping his chin with his dirty sleeve. **"Not bad at all. It seems you've gotten enough speed and power to counter me effectively with that Sharingan of yours." **Hepaused**. "No matter… It will all end the same." **Suddenly, more green chakra began to spiral around him, only adding to his rough, menacing demeanor. Sasuke watched, and the black markings on his body spread down his right leg. He slowly got into a stance, not taking his eyes off Sengi for anything.

Sengi only laughed. "**Let us see which is better, Uchiha!" **Heyelled**. "**_**My**_** chakra or **_**your**_** Sharingan!" **

**End of Chapter. **

**A/N: Pretty long chapter. Yeah sorry this one took so long to get out. I can't really blame anything except my constant procrastination. *sigh* When will I learn? **

**Next Chapter:**

**Breaking the Limit**


	24. Breaking the Limit

**Chapter 24**

**Breaking the Limit**

"**ARGH!"**

Sengi yelled, shooting lightning at Sasuke, who avoided it at the last second. Sengi rushed forward with blinding speed, fist drawn back. Sasuke measured the distance and the path he would take with his Sharingan, and timed his weave perfectly, avoiding the punch, and countering with a punch of his own. Sengi was sent up in the air, and Sasuke jumped up with him. When he reached him, he grabbed his shirt collar, and threw him back to the ground. He never reached it, though, because he disappeared in a flash of speed before the impact.

It didn't matter to Sasuke. He saw Sengi's every move! He began to do hand signs, and watched as Sengi landed on the stadium wall. He looked back at Sasuke just as he finished his hand signs, and took an intake of breath.

"Fire Style: Phoenix Flower Jutsu!"

He blew purple-outlined fireballs at Sengi's position, but Sengi had begun to run across the stadium wall, and avoided them. Sasuke's fireballs smashed against the wall, each one leaving a crater as they went. Sasuke landed back on the ground, and pushed off, jumping in Sengi's direction. Sengi noticed it, though, and pushed off the stadium wall, jumping at Sasuke in turn.

They met in midair, each drawing a fist back and releasing it at the same time. As quickly as they had met, they were separating in the opposite directions, shooting towards the earth. In an instant, they both landed crashed, and in even less then an instant they were both up, hurling kunai at each other. With a _shink_, they clashed harmlessly toward the ground. Sasuke took a step forward, not lowering his guard. Sengi eyed him carefully, breathing heavily.

"**I've had **_**enough**_**!" **he shouted at Sasuke. **"I'm going to kill you now!"**

He brought his hands together in a single sign, and Sasuke gasped as he watched Sengi's eyes turn an even darker green then before, his hair standing on end. Slowly, small bursts of green electricity began to twist around his arms. They spiraled back and forth, intensifying with each spark. More. Sengi suddenly pulled his arms apart; the electricity seemed to be almost dripping off of them.

Sasuke frowned. That_ does not look good…_

Sengi suddenly rushed forward with a new found speed, his electrified fist drawn back. Sasuke's Sharingan barely caught it, and he almost wasn't able to duck in time. Above him, he felt the sheer momentum the electricity added to that punch, and he quickly jumped away. No sooner had he landed, though, he was jumping away again, this time dodging lightning that Sengi had shot. But Sengi had found his stride; he jumped after Sasuke, punching at him again, but thanks to Sasuke's Sharingan, missed, only to follow up with a burst of lightning that Sasuke barely avoided.

The process repeated until Sasuke found himself jumping backward into the stadium wall. He hit with a thud, but barely had time to think about it. Sengi was upon him, electrified fist coming down hard and fast. Sasuke cursed, his Sharingan quickly looking for a way out. They found none, and Sasuke cursed again as he began to perform hand signs, the Curse Mark spreading down his right arm as well. Sasuke quickly brought his hands to his lips, his Sharingan still drilling into Sengi.

"Fire Style: Fireball Jutsu!"

Focusing his chakra, he blew as hard as he could. The fireball was enormous; a giant ball of heat shooting out of his mouth with massive force. He had only done it as a sort of scare tactic, hoping that Sengi would break his attack to dodge…but he didn't. He was coming down even harder, and was that a smirk Sasuke saw?

Sengi shot his fist forward, ramming it into Sasuke's fireball as hard as he could. Sasuke had expected him to be blown backward by the force of his attack, but it didn't happen. If possible, he was actually _matching_ it in strength, pushing against it with his fist. From his end of the attack, Sasuke saw the electricity shooting off the fireball as quickly as they hit it, only to be replaced by more electricity.

Sasuke felt his feet sink into the wall just a tad, and his eyes widened in shock. Was he actually being pushed _back_? His feet sunk even farther when Sengi punched with his second fist. Sasuke winced as his fireball began to split, tearing right down the middle. Sengi gave one final shove with his arms, and the fireball evaporated right before them, shooting bits of flame to the right and left. From all of his momentum, Sengi continued forward, passing through the area where the fire had just been. Sasuke's Sharingan showed him the path that Sengi was going to take, but he wasn't able to dodge out of the way just yet, so he quickly grabbed a kunai from his holster.

Sengi came down on him, grabbed his left shoulder with his left hand, and punched Sasuke square in the gut with his right. Sasuke noticed that the electricity had vanished from his arms, presumably using it all to punch through the fireball, but it was still nothing but raw power. Sasuke doubled over in pain as he felt himself begin to move. He glanced up and found that Sengi was actually lifting him _away_ from the wall. He acted quickly, and before he was thrown to the ground, he embedded his kunai into Sengi's left shoulder. Sengi yelled in pain as he threw him away.

Sasuke hit the ground with a loud -_thud!_- and rolled, putting himself into a kneeling position. He coughed up a little blood, and panting, he looked back at Sengi, who had now jumped down, joining him on the ground. He looked exhausted. His pants had torn, and he had many bruises across his face, and blood was dripping down from the knife wound Sasuke had just given him. He reached up, and giving it a quick tug and a grunt, pulled it out of his shoulder, tossing it aside. Sasuke gasped at the state of his hands. They were almost completely black, having been heavily burned from the fireball. Small fits of smoke were still drifting off of them.

_Jesus, _Sasuke thought, spitting at the ground.

But something odd was happening, or well, _wasn't_ happening. His wounds that would normally just evaporate away were now staying… As if they couldn't be healed. Or _refused_ to be. Sengi took a shaky step forward, slowly raising a burnt finger to Sasuke, who gasped. Was he really going to try it? Surely he wouldn't try to shoot any lightning with his hands like that!

"**You…" **Sengi said. His voice suddenly sounded dry and tried. That last jutsu he performed must have required a lot of chakra for him to be this tired. **"Are in the way…"**

Sasuke raised an eyebrow. _What's he talking about? _

Sengi spat. **"Don't try to play dumb, Uchiha!" **he growled. He seemed to be having trouble balancing. **"This is your entire fault!" **He stumbled forward a little. **"Don't stand in my way!"**

Sasuke eyed Sengi's still pointed finger, his markings spreading down his left leg now. Slowly, he began to form discreet hand signs behind his leg. "What are you talking about?"

Sengi covered his face with his un-extended arm. He was breathing even more heavily, and as Sasuke watched, his left eye, which was still exposed, began to change colors. From green to brown and back again. **"I...**We...**I'll make sure you…**Stop! Give it back!...**I'll make sure you…**Raikage…**Don't get in the way…**Shut up!...**Let me have this…**How can you say…**I'll kill all of you…**_But_…**I **_**must**_**…**_We_ must…" Sasuke frowned, confused. What was going on?

Sengi yelled, and in an instant, a bolt of lightning shot from his finger, but thanks to the Sharingan, Sasuke was ready. In fact, he had been waiting for it. He ducked and rolled to the right, bringing his left arm out from behind his leg.

"Chidori!" The Chidori chirped loudly, and the purple that outlined it, seemed to magnify its power. He shot forward, clutching his left shoulder as he drug the Chidori behind him. Sasuke watched as Sengi dropped to all fours, even more smoke rising from his right hand after the lightning. He looked almost in pain. Sasuke didn't think about it, though, he just charged forward. Suddenly, Sengi lifted his head, meeting Sasuke's eyes. Sasuke flinched. A sudden indescribable feeling filled the air, and his eyes held the greatest intent to kill he had even seen or felt… At least since his brother.

Still on all fours, Sengi quickly flipped away, landing on Sasuke's other side. Sasuke stopped short, ceasing his attack right before his Chidori collided with the ground. He turned slowly.

A sudden power was overcoming Sengi. He hunched further on all fours, his teeth becoming more jagged. His hair stood on end, and the claws on his hands and feet became shorter but sharper. His eyes became more focused, and his wounds began to evaporate again, but faster then they had before. Any traces of burns on his hands were almost completely erased. Finally, a dark green substance began to surround him. It formed around his body, outlining its very shape except for his back where it instead arced, almost like a shell. The spot where the substance met at his butt didn't connect just yet. It extended outwards on both sides, bubbling together and giving the appearance of a tail.

The crowd was in a complete uproar. Many people had stood from their seats, doing their best to get a complete look at the metamorphosis, but many left the stadium altogether, dragging their children along with them. Terrifying screams ripped through the air as the tail swayed back and forth.

Sasuke took a step back, appalled by the transformation he had just witnessed. He clutched his Chidori almost hungrily. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Tsunade rise from her chair and turn on the Raikage, Kakashi right behind her. His guards had stepped in-between them, though, and from the looks of things, he seemed to be saying something that explained the situation. He turned back toward Sengi, the stadium now a little less loud.

"What…" he said slowly. "What are you…Sengi?" He couldn't quite place it. But there was something about Sengi now that made him uncomfortable. That bubbly substance that surrounded him… _Is that…chakra?_

Sengi's bubbly, green tail continued to sway back and forth. He moved forward on all fours with what Sasuke guessed a smirk on his rough face. He didn't answer though, and suddenly, he shot his arm forward. At first, Sasuke didn't know what he was doing. He was to far away to even _try_ to touch him. But Sasuke's eyes widened in shock as he noticed that while Sengi's arm could stretch no further, the green claw that outlined it continued to move past Sengi's reach.

Sasuke gasped and weaved out of the way just in time. Clutching his shoulder, he held the Chidori firmly as he began to rush Sengi. He moved quickly, and watched as Sengi drew his arm back, causing the chakra arm to retreat as well. Sasuke eyed it carefully, and as he expected, Sengi shot at him again, this time in a sweeping motion. Sasuke hopped over it as it passed, and thanks to his Sharingan, found himself twisting to avoid the second arm. He stopped for a half-second, locking eyes with Sengi before taking off again, this time running straight at him.

Sasuke saw Sengi bring his real arms back, and he glanced behind him to see the chakra arms coming around for a second attempt. He increased his speed, determined to reach Sengi before they reached _him_. They were to fast though, and forced Sasuke to back-flip over them as they passed. He landed and pushed off again, not taking his eyes off Sengi, who shot his chakra arm again. Sasuke was barely able to weave around it and kept moving, not losing a bit of speed. The second arm arced over him, coming down from above; he skipped forward just as it smashed into the earth. He was upon Sengi now, and began to move his Chidori to a thrusting position. Sengi just sat there, motionless, and for an instant, Sasuke saw him smile. He shrugged it off, though, because he was about to blast through him with a-

"Chidori!"

_WHAM!_

Sasuke was hit with such force he was actually sent flying backward. He landed quite a bit away, his Chidori leaving a long crater in its wake as he slid across the ground. When he finally stopped, the Chidori vanished. He slowly pulled himself into a sitting position. Sengi's arms were now by his side once more. Sasuke clutched his chest in pain. What hit him?

It was then he saw the tail, now bent inward, hovering over Sengi's head, swaying back and forth.

Sasuke frowned as he stood up. He mentally hit himself. Of course! Why hadn't he thought of the tail?! His legs were killing him, and he was breathing heavily, unable to deny the fact that he could feel the Curse Mark's influence beginning to slip.

_Swoosh!_

He jumped at the sight of a chakra arm shooting towards him. From the air, he watched as it changed direction, lowering itself just a bit before barreling upward. Sasuke pulled a kunai from his holster, and in one swift motion, twisted in the air so that the arm barely grazed him and rammed the kunai into the arm. He saw it twist and gurgle from the impact, but when he glanced at Sengi, he found that his expression showed not even a hint of pain.

The arm still dangled in mid-air, so Sasuke used the opportunity to grab it, and slide down as if it were a pole. It felt kind of mushy, a sort of soft clay like substance. It was solid _enough_. He rode it almost all the way down to Sengi. The other arm shot towards him, but he jumped from the arm, causing them both to collide with each other. The force sent them both smashing into the ground. Sasuke landed, and jumped at Sengi. He was wide open. In the air, he twisted!

_SWOOSH! _

He was right! He avoided the tail just in time! Landing, he pulled another kunai from his holster and quickly lit the blade on fire with his jutsu. He was now face to face with Sengi again. He side-kicked Sengi in the neck, but his impact with the chakra that outlined his body was all there was. He punched and kicked again, but he couldn't break through the chakra. He slashed at Sengi's shoulder with his kunai, and was surprised to find that he left a small, smoking gash. He was proud for a half-second, but found that the smoke was only a sign that the gash healed right away, no sooner had he brought the kunai away. He became aware of the chakra arms, which had finally reverted back to their original positions around Sengi's own arms.

_Close combat, huh? _Sasuke thought.

Sengi brought his real arm down, not really punching at Sasuke; what he did resembled more of a clawing type of motion, like a cat or a bear. Either way, it was still no match for Sasuke's Sharingan. He saw the attack from miles away and dodged appropriately, countering with another gash on Sengi's side, which again, healed right away.

Sasuke cursed as he twisted out of the way of another claw, setting himself up for a nice thrust at Sengi's throat. He thrust as hard as he could, the flaming kunai meeting the chakra head on. He pushed and, to his surprise, he felt the kunai begin to cut farther into the chakra neck. Sengi's arm was coming down on his left. Sasuke smirked as its path highlighted itself. He leaned slightly backward, and just like he knew it would, Sengi's arm missed, but… He was hit instead by the chakra arm that accompanied it! At the last second, it had actually separated itself from Sengi's actual arm, thus came down at a separate angle and path.

Sasuke was sent flying backward again, forced to let go of the kunai. He landed hard, and rolled a bit before he managed to stop himself. He stayed like that for just as second before forcing himself to a knee. Slowly, the markings on his body faded, receding back into the seal on his neck. He coughed, and wiped a little seat from his brow. Had he seen what he thought he saw?

_That green chakra…It can move independently from Sengi?! It's as if it has a mind of its own! _Sasuke's kunai suddenly popped itself out of Sengi's chakra throat, plopping down on the ground, its flame gone. Sasuke narrowed his eyes. _That green chakra… Is it _protecting_ him…?It's just like Gaara's sand…_

He eyed Sengi carefully, and watched as he clenched and unclenched his fists. He was proud, Sasuke could tell. Sasuke took a deep breath, and glanced behind him. Tsunade had resumed her sitting position, watching the match with a new found interest. Kakashi was standing beside her as well, staring down at him. The Raikage must have told them something that explained the situation. After looking again, Sasuke also found that Jiraiya was standing on her other side. Sasuke wondered what he was doing there for only a moment. He looked back toward Sengi.

He had more important things to worry about.

The tail swayed back and forth.

Sasuke closed his eyes. He had used up the Curse Mark, he had tried to trap him in Fire Jutsu, he had awakened an even more powerful Sharingan, but he only had enough chakra left for one last Chidori. _And judging from him, _Sasuke decided. _He's not going to run out of chakra anytime soon. _

He looked up at the blue sky, giving his idea some more thought. He glanced above Sengi to the bunker, catching Naruto's eye. Sasuke didn't need the Sharingan to tell he was worried. He sighed as he glanced behind him at Kakashi again. Wait… Did he just nod? It was a hesitant nod, but a nod nonetheless. He smiled, realizing he had no choice. He closed his eyes. Sengi growled.

Slowly, a blue signature began to outline Sasuke's body. It grew larger and brighter until it began to extrude about him. It began to wave around frantically, and the sheer feeling of raw power it emitted made everyone in the stadium flinch.

Everyone but Sengi.

Eyes still closed, Sasuke stood up. The blue energy that outlined him continued to sway around, as if it was in a huge wind. Slowly, Sasuke opened his eyes, locking his stare with Sengi. Sengi growled again while Sasuke smirked. He looked down at his hands. He felt completely rejuvenated! His strength and chakra had returned tenfold!

He watched as Sengi brought up one of his cloaked chakra arms.

"**Ninja Art…"** He growled. His voice sounded, if possible, even more menacing then before. Was he beginning to get frustrated? **"Lightning Strike!" **

A bolt of green lightning shot out of his arm, and continued on through his chakra arm. Sasuke avoided it easily. Sengi raised his other arm, and began to shoot more, all of which Sasuke managed to dodge. Sengi was surprised at how suddenly fast he was.

Sasuke ducked under a lightning bolt then jumped into the air, forming hand signs all the while. At the peak of his jump, he took an intake of breath, and began to spit out fireballs. _Blue_ fireballs!

Sengi stood where he was, fully confident his chakra cloak would protect him, but as they slammed into him, he found that even with the cloak, they burned slightly. To Sengi's surprise, eventually one broke through, hitting him right in his chest. A pain of hot, burning stinging slammed through his system all at once, and he jumped back as the front of his cloak mended itself. He looked at Sasuke, who was landing now, with hatred. After his cloak healed, he immediately shot two more lightning bolts at him from across the arena.

Sasuke dodged them easily, though, and began to run toward Sengi. Sengi extended his chakra arms to meet him, but Sasuke simply avoided them by sliding under them. Sengi took a step back, trying to recover his arms. Sasuke was moving with incredible speed! Within moments, he was face to face with Sengi again. Sengi winced at the brightness of that strange blue signature that wavered around him, not noticing Sasuke's punch. It hit him straight in his chakra chest, and even though it didn't break through to his real body, the force of the attack sent him upward. Almost immediately, Sasuke was above him, kicking him in his shelled back. Again, it didn't break through, but Sengi found himself slamming into the ground.

None of the attacks were actually doing any damage, but they were enough to keep Sengi off his balance, and that was exactly what Sasuke wanted. He landed just as Sengi did, and spun into a kick aimed toward Sengi's head. Sengi had already recovered though, jumping away as Sasuke kicked. He landed a bit away, shooting more lightning at Sasuke, who flipped over them. They were becoming more frustrating then dangerous, he realized.

He noticed Sengi's chakra arms beginning to move. He watched as they slowly formed themselves out of the claw shape, and inclined at a single point, resembling more of a straight blade. Sasuke frowned as Sengi jumped towards him with them. He flung them around wildly, slashing randomly. Sasuke bent in every direction to dodge them, his Sharingan picking up a heavy bit of the slack.

But it happened again! As Sengi brought his real arm down, the blade outlining it, Sasuke made to dodge, only to find the chakra blade separated from Sengi's real arm, slashing at his dodged angle. It normally would have hit him, Sasuke wasn't going to deny it, but thanks to his increased Limit speed, he was able to notice it in time, drop to the ground, and avoid the attack except for the very edge of the blade that he was sure grazed one of his long bangs. He was now in a perfect position to strike!

Using his arms as support, he kicked upward with both legs hitting Sengi directly in his cloaked torso. The hit bounced him away, and Sasuke flipped back to his feet. Sengi landed unharmed. He moved his cloaked blades slowly in front of him, as if he was trying to intimidate Sasuke to back down. Sasuke only smirked.

He reached into his weapons pouch, and, digging past his kunai, shuriken and explosive tags, grasped a lone scroll. He pulled it out, and held it in front of him. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Naruto lean closer over the railing trying to get a better look. Smiling, he also saw Kakashi shift in his stance up on the balcony.

_Don't you dare do _anything_, Kakashi, _Sasuke thought, spinning the scroll around in his hand, untying it as he did so. Sengi raised an eyebrow, probably recognizing what kind of scroll it was.

"So," Sasuke said, letting the scroll unwrap itself. It stopped just before it hit the ground. "Those are some nice trinkets you've got there." He was referring to Sengi's two cloaked chakra blades. The blue signature that surrounded him showed no signs of stopping, or even slowing down.

Sengi frowned, avoiding the statement. **"So just what do you plan on doing with **_**that**_**, Uchiha?" **The scroll was otherwise empty except for one black circle situated about halfway down its length. Seemingly random lines outlined it.

Sasuke smirked and formed a single hand sign with his free hand. "Ending this."

Suddenly, the scroll ignited in a puff of smoke that surrounded it and Sasuke, even obscuring the blue signature. A couple of seconds passed in silence, the smoke still drifting around almost lazily. Sengi crouched low, still unable to see anything. He didn't move his eyes away from that spot…

_Swoosh! _

Suddenly, a bright, blue blur burst from the smoke, running directly toward Sengi. It was Sasuke, obviously, and Sengi raised one of his blades to meet him. He was moving rather fast, but Sengi brought it down as soon as Sasuke reached him. He hit something, and began to push down with his blade…but wasn't getting anywhere. Surprised, Sengi pushed still, but Sasuke was pushing back with something just as hard. At fist Sengi thought it was a kunai, but as he finally focused on Sasuke, he gasped.

There, pushing against his cloaked chakra blade, Sasuke held a _sword_ in his right hand. It was a long, straight, almost white sword. The hilt was in the same shape as the blade, and it would've been impossible to tell them apart if it wasn't a contrasting dark black color. He held the hilt horizontally in his right hand, the blade extended out to the right of his body. Sasuke looked at Sengi with his piercing Sharingan, his feet digging into the ground as he pushed back Sengi's arm. In his left hand, Sengi finally noticed, was a long, sheath the same color as the handle.

"**What?!" **Sengi blurted out. The thing in that weapons scroll had been a _sword_!

Sasuke smirked happily at Sengi's startled expression. At first, he hadn't been to sure about Kakashi's suggestion of sword training over the past month, but now he was glad he had done it. _"You never know who you'll end up fighting against," _Kakashi had said. _"And while the Sharingan is a good tool, it never hurts to specialize in a certain weapon." _Sasuke couldn't believe how right Kakashi had been, and also, how dumb he'd been to doubt him.

"Surprised?" he asked honestly before stepping back, causing Sengi to crash his arm into the earth. Sasuke found his footing, and took a step forward, swinging his sword to the left, slashing horizontally. Sengi managed to block it with his other arm, but was still too surprised to notice the sheath coming right towards his face.

It connected with a loud _whack_, and sent Sengi spiraling to the right. Sasuke spun around as he connected, cocking his wrist downward so that the sword's blade now stood vertically. Sengi caught the ground as he spiraled, ceasing his momentum. He shot Sasuke a look of absolute hatred before extending his chakra blades from his body towards Sasuke.

They came surprisingly quickly. Sasuke blocked the first one with his sword, tossing it away so that he could block the second one. This time, he tossed it toward the ground just in time to roll out of the way of the first one again. He glanced toward Sengi, who was waving and swing his arms around. He looked back towards the green limbs as they began to do the same, but thanks to his Sharingan and speed, he managed to block, roll and flip out of all their attacks. One suddenly came around on his left side! He used the sheath to block this one, holding it there. He snapped his head around, focusing on the one coming towards his right this time. He saw the exact path, and weaved his torso out of the way so that it completely missed.

He wasn't done yet, though. Just as the blade part of the arm missed, he brought his sword down, hitting the arm where he thought the wrist would be. At first, he thought his sword had gotten stuck, but it was just that damn chakra! Putting more weight into his swing, he managed to increase the pressure just enough so that his sword slowly began to cut _through_ the chakra. The arm immediately began to shake and squirm, as if it were feeling the pain instead of Sengi. After another moment, he finally managed to break his sword through to the other side, severing the blade from the actual arm.

At this, Sengi yowled as he retracted both his arms back to him. Sasuke watched as the chakra he cut evaporated into thin air. He dropped into a stance as he turned toward Sengi, who was clutching his chakra arm's stub as if it were real. It looked as if it were bubbling back to normal, but it was moving at a much slower pace then when it had first mended itself from Sasuke's fireballs.

Sasuke raised an eyebrow. _Perhaps this jutsu or whatever he's doing is more risky then he's letting on…_

Sengi seemed to be shaking, but Sasuke couldn't tell if it was from pain or rage. **"You…" **he said simply, pointing his other cloaked blade at Sasuke. Was that a smile on his lips? **"I've…I haven't had a fight like this in a long time…" **He began to chuckle softly. **"And I have your unyielding resolve to thank for that, Uchiha!" **It was then that Sasuke realized he hadn't been shaking from either pain or rage… It had been from excitement.

Sengi began to suddenly make hand signs. He held out his still good, right chakra arm, and slowly, as Sasuke watched, green electricity began to spiral down it, giving it an even darker green glow. More and more began to spiral down until his whole arm became outlined in a constant flow of green electricity. He swung down in the air once, and as he did, trails of green electricity danced after it. Sasuke frowned.

As Sengi stepped forward, Sasuke made to move to the left to try to flank his useless side, but stopped short. A sudden dizziness overtook him, and his vision blurred slightly. He paused and shook his head before taking off again. He held his sword out to the side as he ran. _So, _he thought quickly. _The Limit is also finally starting to take its toll… I don't have much longer. _

He continued with his plan, running up the left side. With his real left hand still able to be used, Sengi shot a bolt of lightning at Sasuke's advance. Sasuke twisted around it just in time to see the electrified arm-blade coming straight toward him! It seemed to whistle as it moved through the air, the green electricity lagging behind it. He thought about trying to block it with his sword, but considering the added electricity, he decided to just jump out of its path. In the air, he glanced behind him and discovered the arm coming around for a second strike. Sasuke quickly twisted in the air, readying himself with his sheath.

As the arm came closer, he thrust his sheath out in front of him to try and stop its momentum, but the arm was to powerful. As it crashed against the sheath, it snapped it in two like a twig. Sasuke, surprised, quickly twisted in the air again, the arm grazing his shirt. As it passed so close to him though, Sasuke could feel the electricity licking his body like small knives. He fell back to the ground, and rushed Sengi. Sengi smiled, and Sasuke watched as his chakra tail shot from behind him. Sasuke held up his sword, and met the tail halfway, pushing against it with all his might.

As he was beginning to cut through the tail, he noticed movement beside him. He looked to find the electrified chakra arm coming at him again. Cursing, he acted quickly, twisting around the tail just in time to avoid the arm's fast approaching thrust. As he spun, he displaced his sword enough in his hand so he could perform the appropriate hand signs. As he came around the tail's other side, he held a Chidori firmly in his grasp. The arm circled around, coming straight at Sasuke again! Sasuke ducked down low, kicked the tail away, and pushed off in the direction of the arm, his bright blue Chidori held out in front of him.

As they met, electricity spiraled in every direction! Sasuke winced at the brightness of the two attacks, but kept pushing against the arm. After a moment, when some of the power had subdued from both forces, Sasuke slashed at the arm with his sword. Because of the added pressure point of his Chidori, he was able to easily cut through it, even though it was still half way electrified. With the arm severed, it retreated back to Sengi, and Sasuke, his Chidori fading, turned around to face Sengi once more…

_WHAM! _

Something suddenly hit him square in the chest! It forced him all the way back, slamming him against the stadium wall. Sasuke coughed; his ribs and lower back were in a lot of pain. He glanced down and found that the thing that had slammed into him was the other chakra arm, which must have finally mended itself. Sasuke moved to thrust his sword into it so he could break free, but the arm began to move, dragging Sasuke hard along the stadium wall. Finally, it pulled him away, and slammed him into the ground, the arm retreating back to Sengi's side.

Sasuke weakly used his sword to pull himself up into a kneeling position, and still used it to balance himself. He tried to look at Sengi but his vision blurred slightly again. He brought his hand to his mouth as he coughed up blood. He shook his head, trying his best to clear his vision. When he did, he looked at Sengi, who was hunched over on all fours again. Well, except for the arm Sasuke had just cut, which was slowly bubbling back to normal. Sasuke coughed again, and looked at a shaky hand. _My body… _he thought.

-

"So what's the big deal?" Sasuke asked, blocking a punch from Kakashi, and countering with a kick of his own. "Why can't I just go ahead and Limit and finish the battle quickly?"

Kakashi blocked the kick by catching Sasuke's leg, and made to swing him around, but Sasuke twisted, breaking free of Kakashi's hold. "The Limit is risky, Sasuke. Our training with it, you're only to use it as a last resort."

Sasuke landed, and jumped, throwing two kunai at Kakashi. "You keep saying that it's 'risky' but you never explain why!"

Kakashi blocked the kunai with his own, and rolled, avoiding Sasuke's follow through kick. He held up his hand, breathing heavily. "Even though the Limit _does_ increase your speed, strength and the power of your jutsus, it _doesn't_ increase your stamina." Sasuke raised an eyebrow. "What I mean is, your body has limits, and the Limit, despite its name, doesn't increase them. For instance, even through it may feel like you can do a thousand Chidori's, in actuality, you can only do as many as your body can take. Your body has limits, and you have to be aware of them, because if you try to push it too hard, you risk chakra exhaustion, and even breaking your Limit."

Sasuke eyes widened at this. "Breaking the Limit…?"

Kakashi nodded slowly. "It's when the Limit becomes overused. If you try to force its use in a situation where your body won't allow it, then you risk breaking it. As in, totally shattering its existence."

Sasuke gasped. "How does that even work?"

Kakashi shrugged. "Your guess is as good as anyone's. Although, the few ninja who've been documented with having the Limit eventually have broken it. The information on these ninja also say that breaking your Limit can have other negative effects, but they haven't been completely documented." Kakashi frowned behind his mask. "Either way, the point is for you to not overuse that Limit. Only as a last resort. Got it?" He paused. "You've been given a gift, Sasuke! Very few ninjas are born with the ability to Limit, and even fewer get documented into archives. Eventually, though, they all end up overusing it and breaking them." He shook his head disapprovingly. "Don't be one of them."

Lost in thought, Sasuke didn't reply.

-

Sasuke was breathing heavily; the roar of the crowd around him seemed distant, almost nonexistent. He looked back toward Sengi, whose arm had just finished forming anew. _My body… _Sasuke thought again. _I still feel so strong, but my body's shaking… I can't risk breaking the Limit… But… _Sengi moved forward slightly. _If I don't use the Limit… I'm screwed._ Using his sword for support,he stood up slowly, his knees buckling slightly. _On the other hand, if I continue to use it, I might be just as screwed… _

Sengi shot his right chakra arm forward, but Sasuke jumped out of its path just in time. He landed, and ran toward Sengi, half-expecting the other arm to come at him too, but it never did. _Must be saving it! _Sasuke thought, glancing behind him, and rolling forward just as the arm passed. He glanced at the other arm again, but it still wasn't moving. Sasuke jumped back, narrowly avoiding the arm's continued assault. He stumbled slightly when he landed, forcing him to use his sword to block the arm's second strike.

_Shit! _He could feel his knees shaking from the effort. Realizing he was wide open, he looked at Sengi's other arm a third time, but it still showed no signs of moving. Sasuke kept staring, still pushing against the arm. _Is that…smoke? _It was! Small waves of dark smoke seemed to be flowing from his whole, real left arm. Sasuke pushed the arm away, and jumped toward Sengi's left toward the other smoking arm. _Is that why he's not using it? _He was getting closer, but Sengi still didn't move his arm. He yelled, and instead, his tail came from behind him, launching itself at Sasuke. Sasuke dug his sword into the ground, ceasing his movement, and jumped back to the right.

He landed and looked back at the smoking arm. _The tail protected him? It's not that he _won't_ use it… _he realized. _It's because he _can't_! _

He back flipped out of the way of the good arm, causing it to smash into the ground. He noticed the tail coming on his left side, but he knocked it away with the blunt end of his sword. They both recovered though, and this time, Sengi sent them both to attack at the same time! Sasuke had been expecting it though, and jumped back as they both thrust at him. Still not that far away though, with all his might Sasuke jammed his sword through both the tail and then the arm, straight into the ground. It embedded deep through the crust and soil. He landed on one knee, breathing even harder then he had been.

He watched as Sengi tried to break both the tail and arm free. He pulled, shouted and backed away, but all they ever did was squirm around franticly. Sasuke smirked. He had hoped Sengi would be too weak to free them, and apparently, he had been correct. He quickly moved forward, forming fast hand signs.

_I've got to end this now! _He thought drastically as more chirping filled the stadium. Sasuke held his Chidori behind him as he ran, stumbling slightly. What was Sengi doing? Sasuke shook his head to clear his vision and looked again. Sengi was staring at Sasuke, his mouth wide open. Sasuke almost burst out laughing, but stopped himself. Something was happening… He narrowed his eyes. Small bursts of green electricity were forming around Sengi's mouth. At first they were small and irregular, but after a moment, they became bigger, and formed at a better pattern. They suddenly began to spark together, forming a small sphere of swirling green electricity hovering just outside Sengi's wide open mouth. The sphere was held there by four bigger strands of electricity, coming from what appeared to be Sengi's throat. As more electricity sparked near the it, they became connected to it, increasing the its size. After three seconds, a swirling green mass of electricity about the size of Sasuke's Chidori was present, still connected to the inside of Sengi's mouth. Sasuke hesitated for just as second. He was almost upon Sengi now, but he couldn't quit, no matter what!

"**Secret Art…" **Sengi somehow managed to yell through the electricity and the overwhelming roar of the crowd. **"Demon Inazuma!" **Suddenly, to Sasuke's complete and utter shock, Sengi clamped his jaws down tightly, and the green lightning sphere shot from his mouth at an alarming speed. It was coming to fast to dodge, so Sasuke did the only thing that he could think of, and shot his Chidori forward to protect himself. They met furiously, the force of Sengi's attack actually pushing Sasuke back. Dark green and bright blue electricity spurted in every direction, some of it actually cutting Sasuke in several places. Eventually, the two forces collided within themselves, and exploded in a heat of chakra! In a fury of color and smoke, Sasuke was shot backward, hitting and rolling along the ground.

The explosion also shifted the sword in its place in the ground, and Sengi was finally able to force his arm and tail free. He stumbled as he did so, electricity still flowing from his mouth like water. He hunched forward on his good arm.

Sasuke just lay on the ground, staring up at the sky. Slowly, the blue signature that surrounded him faded into the air. He was completely exhausted, and he could also tell he was no longer looking through his Sharingan either. He slowly turned his head to look at Sengi, and found he actually looked as if he was finally in pain. Sasuke coughed, and looked back at the sky.

_Is this…it?_ He thought. _After all this…after everything I did! All that training! What was it all for! What am I…? If I can't even beat someone like Sengi… _His thoughts drifted toward Naruto, who was probably practically falling off the railing, to Kakashi, who was probably fixing to step in and stop the match, to Sakura, who was probably on the edge of her seat, and eventually to Itachi Uchiha, who was probably killing someone right now…

_How can I… _The thought drifted away, and with new found determination, forced himself to a sitting position, and eventually and shakily, to his feet.

-

Kakashi could only watch as the battle took place before them. It had been extremely intense, but when Sengi had cloaked himself in his Bijuu chakra, Kakashi had immediately voiced his concern to the Raikage, and Tsunade had bluntly stood up and questioned him angrily. The Raikage had remained calm though.

"Did you or did you not say that Sengi could use that chakra if he needed it? After all, the Uchiha has all those markings." Tsunade had opened and closed her mouth. More or less, she _had_ said that…

"There's a difference between _needing_ it, and _wanting_ to use it," a new voice had said. Kakashi had turned to find Jiraiya had slipped in behind them on the balcony.

The Raikage still remained calm. "Either way, it is a tool just like Naruto's. Are you trying to tell me that Sengi's using it is unfair when Naruto gets off free?" This had shut even Jiraiya up, who had worked with Naruto extensively on his Kyuubi chakra control.

"Just sit down and watch," the Raikage had continued to Tsunade. "I'll think you'll find it shall remain a good match." There had been that feeling again, Kakashi noticed. There was something about the atmosphere that changed when the Raikage directed a statement to a specific person.

And of course, the match hadn't remained good. The added Bijuu chakra put Sengi at a huge advantage; Sasuke could barely keep up. But that all changed when Sasuke finally released his Limit. Tsunade and Jiraiya and both gasped, and began to whisper excitedly to each other. The Raikage, Kakashi had noticed, had mumbled something under his breath.

Even with the added Limit, Sasuke and Sengi were still evenly matched on all fronts. Kakashi was nervous; he had explained to Sasuke how risky the Limit was, and with his Sharingan eye, saw the condition in which Sasuke's body was becoming.

He hadn't expected him to pull out the sword! Sasuke had told Kakashi personally that he was going to save it to surprise Naruto. This, too, made Kakashi nervous. Was he really in that much trouble he had to pull out the sword he had been planning to keep secret? But watching him, Kakashi couldn't help but feel proud seeing how skilled he had become with it after only a month.

He almost chocked after seeing Sasuke pull off rendering Sengi's arm and tail useless! He couldn't of done it better himself! But that weird ball of lightning Sengi had spawned almost as if he had just made it up; it was as if he had been expecting to get in a situation like this!

The explosion made everyone on the balcony shift toward the arena. Kakashi watched as Sasuke lay on the ground, breathing heavily. The Limit had faded, and with his Sharigan, Kakashi also found that Sasuke's own Sharingan were gone as well. Sengi looked just as bad; he was hunched over on one arm, looking as if he was throwing up electricity. He looked from one to the other. It was hard to tell a winner, but one thing he knew for sure, Sasuke had absolutely nothing left.

And yet, he rose to his feet. Kakashi narrowed his Sharingan eye, making to move forward, but Sasuke threw something up at him. It glinted in the sunlight.

"Kakashi…?" Tsunade asked.

_Thunk! _

A kunai knife had embedded in the post beside Kakashi. Jiraiya and the guards tensed, but Kakashi waved away their worries. It was a clear sign he wasn't to stop the match. He frowned behind his mask, pulling his headband over his eye again.

"It's nothing," he said.

-

_Not yet! _Sasuke thought, turning away from the balcony. _Not yet, Kakashi! _

He stared down Sengi intently. "Hey," he shouted weakly.

At first, it appeared as if he hadn't heard him, but after a moment, Sengi raised his head, wiping away a few remaining sparks. **"What…do you want?" **His voice came out as a soft, tired growl. **"Are you ready to die now?" **He took a wobbly step forward, his cloak of chakra gurgling. It looked almost dented in some places, as if it were about to melt away at any moment.

Sasuke shook his head. "Not yet." He called upon his Sharingan, but they didn't come. He tried again. Still nothing. Frustrated, he closed his left eye and concentrated, focusing what little chakra he had left. After a moment, his right eye went crimson red, marking the coming of his Sharingan. He was breathing even heavier now, and his breaths came slower. "I…was just…wondering…" He made a small laugh, which quickly turned into a cough. "If you'd like…to go just… one more round…?"

Sengi let out a bemused chuckle. **"Eager to die? Alright... One more. Just one more attack before I end it all. Better make it count." **He jumped away, satisfied with his words. When he landed, he stumbled, his cloak bubbling and slouching a bit more. He narrowed his dark green eyes.

Sasuke didn't take his eye off of him, and began to retreat toward the part of the stadium wall where the bunker was. Finally, he took a glance at Kakashi, who was watching him intensely. Sasuke frowned slightly. _Sorry, Kakashi… But what good am I if…_

Slowly, a blue signature sprouted around him, outlining his entire body. It began to dance around him like fire. He felt brand new, but at the same time, his body buckled. He caught himself, though, not taking his eye away from Sengi. His limbs ached, and his Sharingan pulsed loudly in his head. He forced himself to jump backward until he hit the wall, and back flipped up it, sliding as he landed. Eventually, he stopped when he was even with the bunker.

Naruto came rushing to the edge. "Sasuke!" He yelled. "What in the hell are you doing!? You look completely exhausted!"

Sasuke spit. "Shut up, Naruto! How do you think I _feel_?" He looked down at Sengi, and performed a single hand sign. "Look, Naruto," he said. "You've got to make sure you beat this guy."

Sasuke's words made Naruto uneasy. "Sasuke…what are you saying? You're gonna' win!"

Sasuke shook his head sadly. "That's what I thought at first too." He looked at Naruto through his one Sharingan. "But I'm at my limit… In more ways then one… Use what you've learned during this match to win…"

Naruto raised an eyebrow. "But, Sasuke… What are you saying? If it's clear you can't win, then why are you still trying?"

Sasuke chuckled lightly, forming a second hand sign. "I guess a little of you rubbed off on me." He smiled sadly. "I mean, what good am I to you, Sakura, Kakashi, hell, this village if I can't even beat someone like this!"

Naruto didn't know what to say, but he knew he had to say something. In the end, though, he remained silent, a loss for words for perhaps the first time.

"This is it!" Sasuke continued. "The climax to this match! What everyone's been waiting for! Even if there's a one percent chance I can win, just like if there's a one percent chance I can save this village, and just like if there's a one percent chance I can confront Itachi, I cannot pass it up!" He formed the rest of his signs. "Not now! Not ever! Chidori…!"

Chirping. As he brought the Chidori out beside him, he felt his arm twitch and buckle several times. He tried not to think about it. "But just like there's a one percent chance I can win, there's also a one percent chance something could go wrong…" He looked at Naruto again and smiled. "But that's where you come in, Naruto!" He paused. "Just like you always do…"

As Naruto looked back at Sasuke, he noticed a small stream of blood flow from his eye down to the bottom of his cheek. "But Sasuke!" he tried to reason. "What if you-?!"

"Die?" Sasuke finished, his arm buckling again. He grasped it with his right arm to try to keep it steady. "Then I guess… This'll be as far as I was meant to go…"

Naruto flailed his arms around. "It doesn't have to be like this!"

Sasuke only gave another sad smile. "Yes…" He said simply. "It does." With that, he pushed off the wall, barreling toward the ground, his Chidori held out to the side, ripping up the stone as he went.

"Sasuke!" Naruto called back, but Sasuke ignored him. When he landed, he began to run toward Sengi. He noticed Sengi had his mouth wide open, the ball of green electricity forming just outside his mouth. Sasuke tried to increase his speed, but he could tell his legs were refusing to comply. He suddenly coughed up a little bit of blood. _Damn it! _

Sengi finished his lightning ball, and Sasuke prepared to move, expecting him to shoot it again, but he didn't. Instead, he crouched low to the ground, and began to run toward Sasuke in turn. Sasuke coughed a little more. _So he wants to kill me at my own game, huh?_ He clutched his Chidori harder then he ever had before. It began to glow an even brighter blue and chirp even louder. It's sheer brightness, combined with the blue signature, made some people in the crowd want to turn their heads away. They didn't though. No one was about to miss this! _That. Is. Not. Happening! _Was his arm going numb? He felt another small stream of blood run down his face. He just blinked it away.

Sengi increased his speed, ducking down low before jumping the final distance, his arms straight at his side, and his mouth shuttling first. Sasuke yelled loudly, jumping his final bit of distance as well. In the middle of the arena, with the crowd in an absolute uproar, the attacks were only inches away from each other.

"Limitless Chidori!"

"**Demon Inazuma!" **

Suddenly, the two attacks collided in a fury of electricity, color, sound, and a mound of dust and smoke that obscured the outcome.

**End of Chapter.**

**Sasuke is putting everything on the line for one final Chidori, but the Sanbi isn't looking to lose. What will be the outcome? Find out…sometime after Christmas!**

**A/N: Hey guys. Yeah this one took a little while, but as you can see, it's pretty long. Man, two full chapters and I still couldn't finish up this fight. Ha. Anyway, yeah, next one will be up sometime soon after Christmas. Don't worry, I'll be working on it. Yeah, but I hope you guys enjoyed, and have a safe Holiday. **

**Next Chapter:**

**Two Faces To Everything  
**


	25. Two Faces To Everything

**Chapter 25**

**Two Faces To Everything  
**

Waiting.

_Everyone_ was _waiting_.

The dust and smoke continued to swell around the middle of the arena. It danced around with the wind, obscuring anything that could be seen. An ill silence had taken over the stadium. No one dared to say anything, fearing that the slightest sound would only make the smoke stay longer. There was no sound, no color, but worst of all, to Naruto, there was no _movement_ whatsoever from inside the smoke. He leaned farther over the railing of the bunker, trying his best to see _anything_. But still the smoke swelled, and still he waited.

How long had it been? A minute maybe? Probably, but it felt more like a year. Beside him, he felt Sado shift his weight, and he gave a sigh of relief. At least it wasn't just him agonizing through the wait. He thought back to what Sasuke had said to him.

"_Then I guess… This'll be as far as I was meant to go…"_

Naruto shook his head. What had Sasuke meant? That if it was his time to die he would just accept it? No questions _asked_? Naruto couldn't believe it! _If you're dead, Sasuke, _Naruto thought, squeezing the railing. _Then I swear I'm gonna' kill you!_

Movement!

At least, Naruto thought it had been movement. Down in the smoke, that had been a slight movement of a shadow right? He squinted. Maybe not, but there was definitely _something_ moving in there! He looked again.

_SWOOSH!_

A giant, green arm suddenly shot out of the smoke! It smashed into the wall under the bunker, not moving. Naruto was confused. He looked from the arm to the smoke and back again. It was then that he noticed there was something on the other end of the arm… Something the arm had smashed into the wall…

"Sasuke!" Naruto yelled.

It was true! Sasuke was hunched over on the arm, his back against the wall. Naruto looked on from above. He wasn't moving. In another moment, there was a grotesque yell from the smoke, and it all evaporated away in an instant, revealing the green cloaked Sengi, arm extended against Sasuke and electricity dripping from his mouth. Despite it all, he was giving off a creepy smile.

He pulled his arm back from Sasuke, who slouched back against the wall, his head dangling toward the ground. He still wasn't moving. Sengi raised his right arm, electricity still streaming from his mouth as if it were liquid. Slowly, his arm formed itself into a chakra blade again. He held it out in front of him, the blade pointed toward Sasuke's motionless body.

"**Now…" **

In a flash, the blade was shooting forward! Naruto's eyes widened in shock, and without thinking, he hopped over the railing, falling toward Sasuke. He held his right arm in an open palm, and using his left hand, began to swirl and focus his chakra, all the while not taking his eyes off the blade. In an instant, his Rasengan was done.

"Rasengan!"

The blade inches away from Sasuke's defenseless torso, Naruto pushed his Rasengan into it, and watched as the chakra twisted and shredded away along with his attack. He landed in front of Sasuke, smoke spiraling off his hand, and giving Sengi a death glare. Sengi pulled what was left of his arm back, and shot Naruto a glare in return. An odd feeling slammed through Naruto's system.

He pointed a finger at Sengi. "Sengi!" he yelled. The stadium was still deathly quiet. "What's _wrong_ with you?! What the _fuck_ is _wrong_ with you?!"

Sengi didn't reply right away. Instead, he took a step forward, wiping sparks from his lips. **"Naruto…"**

Suddenly, four figures where standing in front of him: Kakashi, Tsunade, Jiraiya, and the proctor. He looked in between them and found the Raikage was now standing beside Sengi. He looked as calm as ever, in fact, he was actually giving them all a small smile. Tsunade threw her arm out to the side.

"That is enough! This match is over!" She pointed a finger at Sengi. "How dare you! It should have been clear to you that the match was over. Sasuke is sitting there defenseless! You had won, and yet you chose to go for the killing blow!" She paused, trying to calm herself down. "Raikage…"

The Raikage held up his hand. "Now, now… Anyone would have gotten caught up in the moment. You know, adrenaline and all… However, I do agree with you." He placed a hand on Sengi's cloaked shoulder. "Calm down, Sengi."

Slowly, the green chakra that surrounded him slowly began to fade away, and seep back into his body. The sight made Naruto feel uneasy. He watched as Sengi stumbled forward, but caught himself. His left arm dangled limply by his side , and his eyes locked with Naruto's for a second, and Naruto felt something inside him tighten uncomfortably. Sengi turned around, and began to shakily walk toward the arena's ground exit.

"Hang on!" Tsunade called. "We're not done here." Sengi stopped, but didn't turn around. Tsunade turned to the Raikage. "This was to close, Raikage… Sasuke could have died! I should disqualify him right now!"

The Raikage nodded slowly; a frown had replaced his smile. "I am aware. Please forgive him, though, he's young. And Don't worry, Tsunade, I'll make sure it doesn't happen again." He gave them all a smile. "But… I wonder if you can do the same…" Naruto couldn't help but notice how all of them tensed as the Raikage turned around. "I'll take Sengi to get looked at. I'll have him back in time, I promise." He caught up with Sengi, and placing a hand on his shoulder, they both headed toward the exit.

The proctor took a step forward. "The winner, by knockout, is Sengi." He said it almost distastefully. The crowd perked up with a few cheers and whistles.

Jiraiya leaned in toward Tsunade. "So are you going to disqualify him?"

Tsunade shook her head. "I don't believe so, after all, it may have been an accident. However, we'll be watching him carefully during the next match."

The mention of the match made Naruto realize. "Sasuke!" he said quickly, turning around. He took a step forward, but stopped himself. "Sasuke…"

Sasuke was hunched over against the wall, his body racked with cuts and bruises. His clothes were torn in several places, and there were patches of blood running down his skin. His head was slouched over, looking at the ground, blood slowly dripping from a place obscured by his long bangs. Naruto's eyes found his left arm, which was literally blood soaked. His skin had been ripped in several places along the arm, and Naruto was pretty sure it wasn't supposed to bend that way. His breathing was slow but there. Naruto slowly averted his eyes to the ground as a medical team ran onto the field.

Kakashi pulled Naruto out of the way as Tsunade knelt down in front of Sasuke. She quickly placed her hand on a couple of the wounds, stopping for only a couple of seconds on his arm. She ordered the medical team to take him to the infirmary as fast as possible. They did as they were told, quickly and carefully loading Sasuke on the stretcher, and taking him away.

Tsunade shook her head at Jiraiya solemnly, then took a step toward Kakashi. "It's bad," she said quietly. Naruto tensed. "I'm going with them." With a sigh, she was off, running after them with a couple of Leaf Nin right by her side.

After a long moment, Naruto said, "Kakashi-sensei…"

Kakashi gave Naruto a small smile under his mask. "It'll be okay, Naruto. I promise." He paused. "But don't let this get to your head… Stay calm. Focused."

Naruto clenched his fists, finally raising his head in the direction Sengi and the Raikage had went. He didn't say anything, but Kakashi saw all of his emotions spilling out through his eyes. He also noticed he had begun to shake.

"Naruto…"

"I am so _angry_ right now, Kakashi-sensei."

Kakashi put a hand on his shoulder. "Sasuke's strong. He'll pull through."

Naruto turned on him. "I'm not mad about that! I'm mad at Sengi! What's his fucking problem?! Why would he do something like that?!" His eyes flashed with hate and rage.

Kakashi made to answer, but Jiraiya beat him to it. "Sengi is going down a dark path right now." Naruto looked toward him. "A path that I don't think he truly realizes the consequences. He's teetering on the edge of despair." He gave Naruto a sad frown. "And while he tries to figure things out, he's taking out his confusion on the people around him."

Naruto fumed. "That doesn't make any sense!" He kicked at the ground, then collapsed to his knees, his hands grasping the dirt as if for comfort. "Gah!" Kakashi made to help him up, but Jiraiya grabbed his arm, shaking his head. After a long silence, Naruto finally stood up, not taking his eyes off the ground.

The proctor approached them. "Sorry, gentleman, but we need to get the next match underway. We're losing daylight, here."

"Of course," Jiraiya answered. He took one last look at Naruto before jumping back to the balcony with Kakashi.

"Sado!" the proctor called. In an instant, the Cloud Nin was jumping from the bunker, landing a few feet away from Naruto. "Good. Now, if you'll recall the rules from yesterday, none of that's changed…"

As the proctor spoke, Naruto tuned him out. He was lost in thought. Why would Sengi do that? What had driven him to become so different? He was no longer the same boy Naruto had met in the streets a month ago. Was Jiraiya right? Was he really on the edge of complete despair?

_I don't get it! I don't understand at all!_

And then…

_**It is because they do not want you to understand.**_

Still staring at the ground, Naruto narrowed his eyes.

_What are you saying?_

_**You may not have felt it, but I did. The atmosphere, the **_**chakra**_**! Your friend, Sengi, is more similar to you then you think.**_

The image of Sengi's strange, green chakra flashed through his mind. _You mean…?_

_**Yes… Like you, he is a host to one of the Bijuu, the Three Tailed Sanbi!**_

_So he's been working with his Bijuu the whole time?!_

_**From what I gathered from that last match, their connection is even stronger then ours. **_

Naruto was hit with sudden realization. _He probably was about to kill Sasuke because the Sanbi told him to!_

_**I felt an almost non-existent human presence during that battle. I don't think Sengi's actual mind was in it at all. The Sanbi's done a good job of suppressing it… **_The Kyuubi let off a low growl. It echoed throughout Naruto's head.

Naruto clenched his fists angrily. _I don't care about that! It's still his fault! It has to be! He almost killed Sasuke! I'm gonna make him pay!_

A sudden chill crept through his body. _**You're beginning to think more like me every day, Naruto… Yes! Use your rage! Show him what he's facing! **_

"Naruto!" Naruto snapped his head up quickly, looking at the proctor. Slowly, the sounds of the crowd came back into focus. It felt like years had passed.

"What?" he said a little more forcefully then he had intended. He found his voice had gone a little rough, and slowly, he realized he could feel the Kyuubi's chakra pouring through his system. A small smile graced his lips.

The proctor sighed. "You weren't listening… Well, I'm not going to repeat myself. Are you ready?"

"…Yeah…"

The proctor nodded. "Very well." He held up his hand. "Sorry for the short wait, ladies and gentleman. The second match of the Semi-Finals is about to begin. Sado versus Naruto Uzumaki!" The crowd cheered, excited to see Naruto in battle once again. "When you both are ready," the proctor continued over the noise, "you may begin!" He swung his arm down, and jumped back just like always.

Sado wasted no time. He jumped away from Naruto, forming a couple of hand sings. He landed as he finished the fifth and final one. _I need to make this look good! _He thought. He glanced at Naruto and found that he hadn't moved at all. He was just staring at the ground. Sado cursed. _Damn it! He's probably still shook up about the Uchiha! This better not affect his performance… _

He slammed both his fists into the ground. "Earth Style: Golem Ude!" Pieces of the ground suddenly began to tear away, attaching to Sado's fists. It continued until both of his arms were incased in stone. He got into a stance. "Prepare yourself, Uzumaki!"

Naruto still hadn't moved. Sado watched confused, and glanced toward the proctor, who looked just as baffled. Was this a joke?

"Uzumaki!" The proctor called. "Is something wrong?"

Naruto didn't reply. He slowly lifted his head, and stared directly at Sado. Sado flinched. His eyes had turned a dark red, and his pupils were now narrow, like a cat's. His features had become rough and hardened, his nails having sharpened to claws, and his teeth a little sharper then they should be. Suddenly, a red chakra began to outline him, moving around wildly as it spread. Sado felt a cool bead of sweat run down his face. He knew this all too well…

Naruto finally put himself in a stance. "Is that all!" he yelled at Sado, who took a step back in both surprise and fear. Naruto narrowed his eyes; they were filled with absolute hate. "I'll finish this in no time flat!"

Then, with blinding speed, he charged forward.

-

Sakura had been on the edge of her seat throughout Sasuke's whole battle, and now, she finally sat back comfortably but in an uncomfortable way. Truthfully, Sengi's transformation had frightened her, and although she didn't get a good look from her position and distance, she could tell Sasuke didn't look good. Her heart sank as Tsunade rushed after the medical team…

But now Naruto stood in the arena! As she looked at him, a weird warmth seemed to crawl throughout her whole body. Perhaps it was the way Naruto presented himself, or perhaps it was her new found feelings for him, but either way, she knew she had nothing to worry about. That is, until she _really_ looked at him.

Immediately, she knew something was wrong, and having spent all this time with him, she could tell when something was troubling him. He seemed…unstable, and she wasn't entirely comfortable with him fighting right now. Sasuke's condition worried her, and she definitely didn't want Naruto in the same boat.

She took a deep breath in and out.

"Hey, are you alright?" Shikamaru asked beside her.

She gave him a weak smile. "Would you be able to tell if I was lying?"

Shikamaru shook his head, letting out a small chuckle. "Trust me, I think what Sengi just did surprised all of us. I mean, who knew he'd be hiding that much power. But I don't think you have to worry about Naruto." He crossed his arms and sat back against his chair. "None of us can really deny it anymore. He's strong."

Shikamaru's words comforted Sakura. "Yeah…" she said softly. "I know."

Shikamaru eyed her carefully. "And hey, don't think about Sengi right now. That's another battle for another time." He nodded toward Sado. "This is his opponent right now, and I wouldn't worry about him either. Even though Naruto wasn't here during my match to see him in action, I don't think he'll be caught too much off guard." Shikamaru grinned. "After all, he seems to do his best when he doesn't know what the hell's coming at him."

"True that!" Chouji piped up though a mouthful of chips. He was on his last bag, having gone though most of the ones he had brought during Sasuke's battle.

Sakura nodded. Shikamaru was right. Naruto would be just fine.

_Right?_

-

Sado wasn't ready. Naruto was upon him in less then half a second! Fist drawn back, he released, hitting Sado square in the face, and sending him back a couple feet. He finally caught himself, though, using his huge stone arms to cease his momentum entirely. He glanced at Naruto, but found he was no longer there. He blinked; suddenly a leg was coming right toward his gut. He gasped as it connected, sending him farther backward, straight into the wall.

He slouched against it, his head spinning. _What in the hell? _He thought wildly, eying Naruto, who hadn't moved. _So strong! So fast! It's definitely because of the Kyuubi's chakra. _He stepped away from the wall, crouching slightly. _But it's different from my training with Sengi last month… He's not just using it to increase his chakra capacity or his strength. This atmosphere…_

With a yell, he jumped up into the air, and shooting his arms forward, began to descend on Naruto's location like a stone bullet. Naruto waited, and just as Sado was about to hit him, he rolled forward quickly, narrowly avoiding the attack. He got back to his feet, and bent backward, grabbing Sado's legs. Grasping them firmly, he took a step forward, and threw with all his might, sending Sado straight back into the stadium wall. This time, he left a crater.

After a moment, Sado pulled himself out of the hole, and jumped back to the ground. He spit. _Yeah… This is definitely different. This feeling, it's totally different from Sengi's. He's using this chakra because he _wants_ to. All this rage I'm feeling and the way he's battling… Oh well, I suppose there's always two different faces to everything. The Uchiha must definitely be the cause of this. _

He crashed his fists together, and the stone that incased them suddenly began to crack, eventually falling from his arms altogether. He began to from hand signs, all the while, watching Naruto. _My objective is not to win, but merely put up a good match. _He finished his signs. _You better dodge these! _

"Earth Style…" he trailed off, stomping his foot on the ground. A column of stone suddenly shot out of the ground near Naruto, heading right for him. Naruto stepped back, dodging it easily, despite its speed. Sado continued to stomp on the ground, and columns continued to spike from the earth, all shooting at Naruto. Naruto's red chakra swayed about as he dodged every one of them! Bending backward, rolling forward, twisting to the side, and finally jumping out of the tangled mess.

Sado had been waiting, and with a final slam, a large column shot from the ground, much higher then the others, heading straight for Naruto. It was coming fast. _You're getting hit at least once, _Sado thought, s smirk spreading across his face. _There's no way you can dodge this one!_

As the column rose to meet Naruto, he peeled his fist back, waiting. It was upon him now, and at that moment, Naruto shot his fist forward, colliding with the stone. At first, it appeared as if nothing had happened, but after a moment, large cracks began to appear in the stone, spreading all they way back down to the ground. Still in the air, Naruto shot a leg up, colliding with the column once more. Almost immediately, it shattered, the rock crumbling and falling back to the earth.

Sado stood flabbergasted. _No way! He punched…right through it… _He dropped to his knees, beginning to get angry. _I didn't want to win, but I don't want to be made a fool of! _He clenched his fists. "No!" He began to form hand signs at an alarming rate. Finishing, he slammed both of his hands onto the ground. "No! No! _No_! I will _not_ be made a fool of! You're getting hit at least _once_! Earth Style: Stone Hebi Jutsu!"

Naruto landed, and was preparing to attack again when he sensed movement behind him. He glanced over his shoulder and found that all of the previous rock columns were beginning to move, and slide out of the ground. The danced around in the air, slowly spinning together. He glanced back to Sado and found him panting heavily. He watched as the Cloud Nin's fingers sunk into the earth, obscuring everything up to his knuckles.

_Crash! Crash! _

Naruto took a step back, looking up into the air. The columns were beginning to mesh together, and attach end to end. After a second, it was done, and one long, massive stone figure fell back to the ground, which shook violently as it accepted its new guest. Naruto stumbled, and as he watched, the places where the columns had connected became disjointed slightly, allowing the figure to articulate. The end piece became shaven and pointed, and the head piece became more rounded, forming an indention. Slowly, it reared back, using its back columns to support itself into a standing position. Like a snake about to strike…

_**Get back, Naruto! **_

Naruto's eyes widened as the stone began to move, its upper half lurching forward. He growled, and jumped back just as it collided with the ground, sending dirt, and dust everywhere. Naruto slid back as he landed. _What the…? What in the hell is that?!_

_**It's an old jutsu… I've seen it once or twice before, but I can't imagine where a kid like this picked it up. Watch out, Naruto. That thing's dangerous. He can control it from a distance. **_

_So I just have to take Sado out? _

_**If you can get close, but good luck with that thing in the way… I've battled some before, back in my day; they move just like a snake. **_

It was moving again, this time sliding across the ground straight at Naruto! Naruto jumped as it reached him, landing on top of it. He stumbled a bit, but gaining his balance, he took off in the direction of Sado, gliding across the rock like it was nothing. Suddenly, like a whip, it snapped, slinging Naruto from its top straight into the air. It curled around, rearing back into a standing position once more, the rounded column acting as its head even with Naruto's body.

It pounced forward, striking at Naruto like a snake. Naruto twisted, catching the column just before it collided with his body. The force of the attack, however, sent him barreling into the closest stadium wall. He extended his feet, hitting the wall, but not going through it. He stood there, holding the rock in place as it pushed against him. Glancing at Sado, he found his fingers were still buried into the earth.

_This sucks! _Naruto thought. _I can't keep fighting this thing like this! _That's when he got an idea. _But maybe if I had some help… _He gave himself a sharp toothed grin, and with all his might, pushed the head of the rock back to the ground. At hit with a thud, but Naruto stayed on the wall. He bit his finger, and began to do the required hand signs. Sado watched curiously, forcing his Stone Snake back to a striking position. After a moment, Naruto was ready.

He slammed his hand on the wall. "Summoning Jutsu!" Naruto was suddenly obscured by a puff of smoke. Sado frowned, commanding his Snake around to the face the smoke's center. He waited. The crowd waited.

_Everyone _was _waiting_.

Suddenly, the smoke swept away. Standing in the area it had been obscuring was Naruto, standing atop a pure white toad. The toad wasn't that large, but it was big enough for Naruto to stand on top of its head. It seemed to be wearing a long piece of red and white clothing that resembled an overcoat. Two mighty swords crisscrossed on its back, and it had both its arms and legs extended, hanging on to the wall.

Sado had not been expecting that. _Looks like I got a little carried away with the Snake, but all the same, I think he'll pull it out. _He smiled. _He's just full of surprises. I'll be sure to tell Sengi. _

Naruto crouched down, his red chakra still swirling around him, and patted the toad on its head. "Thanks for coming, Gamatosu."

Gamatosu gave Naruto a small laugh, eyeing the Stone Snake with caution. He slid slightly down the wall. "No problem, Naruto. Although, I really wasn't expecting this…"

Naruto returned his laugh. "Yeah, it's a little too big for me."

Gamatosu eyes widened. "But, Naruto," he said playfully, sliding down the wall a bit more before catching himself. "I thought you could handle _anything_!"

"Enough!" Sado yelled. He flexed his fingers in the ground, and the Snake reared back once again, and thrust at the wall.

"Hold on, Naruto!" Gamatosu yelled, loosening his grip. He slid down, avoiding the Snake's attack, and causing it crash into the sturdy wall. The stadium shook slightly, and the crowd screamed from a mix of excitement and fear. As soon as Gamatosu touched ground, he scooted away, putting distance between the Snake and himself. "Who's controlling it?" he asked, finally stopping.

Naruto pointed to Sado. "Right there."

Gamatosu nodded, and pushed off in Sado's direction. He didn't get far though, because the Snake suddenly crashed into him. Naruto lurched forward about to fall, but caught himself, focusing his chakra to his feet. Gamatosu grunted in pain as he grabbed the Snake and flipped over it, pushing off as he hit the ground yet again. Once again, he'd barely gone a couple of feet. The Snake's other end quickly wrapped around in front of the pair, blocking them once again.

"Up!" Naruto shouted.

"I know!"

Gamatosu jumped into the air, even with the top of the stadium wall, preparing to come down on Sado. Naruto suddenly noticed movement behind them. The Snake was in a standing position once more, using its tail end to achieve maximum height.

_Damn! It's fast! _"Gamatosu! Behind us!"

"Right!"

The Snake's head charged forward. Gamatosu quickly rolled backward, doing a number of back flips as it passed under him. He stopped, and grabbed onto the top of the stone as best he could. After a bit of fumbling, he finally found his grip. They fell back to the ground, making it shake as they crashed. The Snake tried desperately to reach its back and attack them, but it couldn't arc back enough. It slid across the ground randomly. Naruto imagined Sado was frustrated.

He crouched on top of the toad's head. "Think you can cut it?" Naruto asked, holding on as the Snake scurried in every direction. "I mean, I shattered one with my fist a bit ago."

Gamatosu didn't answer right away. "I can try, Naruto, but its solid rock. Hitting and slicing are two different things." He paused. "Perhaps if I focus some chakra into my blades..." Holding on tightly with both his legs, he grabbed both of his swords' hilts.

Naruto nodded. "It's worth a shot."

With a quick crouch, Gamatosu jumped high into the air. They stopped for just a moment before quickly dropping back down again. Naruto's hair and chakra danced around wildly. The Snake still slid across the ground, but Gamatosu adjusted his falling angle. Finally within striking distance, the toad crisscrossed his arms, drew both his blades, and brought them down in an "X" shape, slicing at the stone with the added momentum of the fall. The force of clash sent a wind spiraling through the arena. Everyone in the crowd covered their eyes as their hair and clothes blew in every direction.

Gamatosu and Naruto watched as the Snake bent inward. The attack had definitely left a large crack where they had hit, but they didn't slice through. The Snake shot toward the ground, hitting it with a large crash. Gamatosu rebounded, landing on the ground, panting. He held his swords firmly.

"I didn't think we'd be able to cut it…"

Naruto gave him a happy pat and a laugh. "It doesn't matter! Hurry, let's get to Sado while it's down!"

Gamatosu nodded, and quickly took off in the direction Sado was. He didn't look afraid though, in fact, he was smiling. Suddenly, the tail of the Snake came out of nowhere, its pointed end heading right for them! Gamatosu raised his swords, blocking the sharp point just in time. He was sent sliding backwards, but held the tail in place. Naruto glanced over at the Snake's head, and found it rising from the ground.

"This thing just won't stay down!" he said breathlessly. Gamatosu grunted in response, caught up in blocking the attack. The Snake continued to push against them while Naruto glanced behind him; they were getting closer to the wall! "There's got to be a way to take this thing out!"

"I have an idea," Gamatosu replied. Naruto raised an eyebrow. His red chakra had dyed down just a bit. "Perhaps if we dampened the rock by wetting it first, it might be soft enough for me to cut it... Although, some of your added chakra wouldn't hurt either."

Naruto nodded in agreement. They had to do _something_! He quickly did two hand signs, raising his right arm, open-palmed. "I'll help get us a bit of breathing room!" He straightened out his arm. "Wind Style: Turning Winds!" A second passed, then a gust of wind burst from his palm. It hit the tail with full force, and even though it was rock, he was able to push it back enough to allow Gamatosu to slouch forward slightly, but then jump into the air. Naruto closed his palm into a fist as they went, the tail falling back to the ground. The Snake raised its head, rearing back for what Naruto hoped would be the final time.

"Let's hurry up and finish this!" he told Gamatosu, who nodded. He positioned his swords in his hands, offsetting them enough to be able to form a hand sign. They had begun to fall, and Naruto watched as Gamatosu's mouth and cheeks expanded.

"Liquid Bullet!" he shouted. His cheeks deflated quickly, and he shot two, small, round bursts of water down at the Snake. Sado saw them, and tried to maneuver out of the way, but they were moving to quickly. They hit the joint where the Snake's head was connected to the rest of the stone columns, wetting the surface, and misting away from the impact, spraying some of the nearby crowd, who were on their feet from absolute enjoyment. Some of the water even seeped into the crack from their first attack.

Gamatosu began to fall now, heading right toward the Snake, a new, firm grip on his blades. Naruto held on tight. "As soon as you make contact," he yelled as they fell, "I'm gonna' make a run for Sado! It won't matter if you don't cut all the way this time!"

"I understand."

They were falling fast, finally within striking distance. They repeated the process, Gamatosu bringing his swords down in an "X" shape, his target the wet area joined to the head. Naruto focused a lot of his Kyuubi chakra into the blades, determined to succeed. As soon as they connected, Naruto could see the blades sinking into the stone, but he didn't have time to think about it; he jumped from Gamatosu's head, forming a single hand sign.

"Shadow Clone Jutsu!" In a puff of smoke, a clone appeared on either side of him. All three landed, and rushed Sado, hopping over the middle section of the Snake, which had ceased movement. Sado was in his sights, and behind him, he head a scraping sound of metal, a sign that Gamatosu had broken through the rock. As if to confirm, a moment later, a loud crash sounded behind the three of them. Naruto couldn't help but smile as they continued to rush Sado. No red chakra was visible around him and his features had returned to normal, but his eyes still held the essence of Kyuubi.

As they ran, Naruto gave both of his clone's a nod and they broke away, coming in at slightly different angles. Naruto caught Sado's eye, but he couldn't recognize the emotion they held if there was one. He was severely out of breath as he pulled his fingers out of the ground. He tried to stand, but he dropped back down to a knee, one of his eyes closed. He looked completely exhausted.

Naruto formed two hand signs. If Sado knew what was coming, he didn't react. Naruto raised his palm. "Turning Winds!" A quick wind funneled from his hand, gliding across the distance between Sado and himself. It went low, but quickly swooped up, knocking Sado into the air helplessly. Naruto closed his palm and continued onward.

The same moment Sado was launched into the air, Naruto's two clones jumped after him. They were coming on both his right and left sides, each with a leg in the air. When they met Sado, they kicked downward, connecting with his face, and launching him back to the ground before disappearing in a puff of smoke. He was coming back down fast, but just before he reached the ground, Naruto rushed the last bit of distance, and punched him in the stomach, sending him spiraling into the stadium wall Naruto was facing. He hit with a loud thud, falling back into the crater he created from his impact.

Naruto wiped the sweat from his brow. He had said he would finish it fast, but the whole Snake thing had surprised him. There was a loud thud beside him as Gamatosu joined him. He had to look up at him, as Gamatosu was twice his size. His swords were back on his back, and his overcoat was ripped in several places. He had a couple of scrapes and bruises, and he was bleeding slightly on his left side, but other then that, he seemed to be fine. Naruto was glad.

Movement in front of them. Naruto had sensed it, and looked only to find Sado pulling himself from the crater, staggering forward on unstable legs. Naruto frowned, and beside him, Gamatosu tensed.

"Our opponent is strong…" he commented.

Naruto grunted as he straightened his back. "Tell me about it…" He was exhausted, but got into a stance, drawing a kunai from his holster. "I'll rush from the front…"

Sado suddenly stopped and held up his hand to them. "No," he said. "That's it. I quit… I'm completely drained… To go on would threaten my health."

In a flash the proctor was in-between them. Naruto, surprised by Sado's sudden words, was barely able to sheath his kunai. The proctor looked from Sado to Naruto, pausing to look at the giant toad for only a second. "It's been decided. The winner, by forfeit, is Naruto Uzumaki!"

The crowd cheered so loud, Naruto almost had to put his hands over his ears. He couldn't help but feel proud though. They were truly happy he had won. He felt the Kyuubi's presence fade as he grinned and waved up at them. Kakashi and Jiraiya were on the ground as he turned to Gamatosu.

"Thanks, Gamatosu. I really couldn't have done this without you." He gave him a pat on the side.

Gamatosu gave him a tired sigh. "I know…" he said simply, then, in a large puff of smoke, he was gone.

"Good job, Naruto!" Kakashi called as he and Jiraiya approached.

Naruto gave them a small thumbs-up. "Thanks, Kakashi-sensei."

A medical team had arrived now, and after taking a quick look over Sado, decided to take him back to the infirmary. Two of the members supported his shoulders as they led him there. Seeing Sado hobble to the infirmary gave Naruto a startling reminder.

"Sasuke!" he said to no one in particular. He immediately started after Sado, in the direction of the infirmary, but Jiraiya grabbed the back of his shirt, pulling him back.

"Hold on there, kid," he said humorously. "You've still got a Final Match to fight in…"

Naruto's eyes widened as he remembered. _That's right… A final battle with Sengi… _His eyes narrowed in anger. "You're right," he said quietly, trying to focus.

Jiraiya craned his neck to the ground entrance of the stadium, but he saw no sign of the Raikage or Sengi. He raised an eyebrow, then took a look around the battle torn arena. The craters in the wall and ground, the scorch marks in the dirt, the displaced earth, the giant columns of rock placed almost randomly around the battlefield…

"This place is a wreck," he told Kakashi.

Kakashi nodded, also looking for a sign of the Raikage. The proctor slowly approached them, taking his hand away from a headset in his ear. "Excuse me, gentleman," he said. "But I've been contacted by the higher-ups." Jiraiya glanced toward the crowd. Was he talking about the village elders? "They wish to delay the Final until tomorrow."

Jiraiya took another look at the battlefield, which lay in ruins, then to Naruto, who looked exhausted, then to the ground entrance, but there was still no Raikage. "I think Tsunade would agree," he finally replied. "Yes, let's have both the finalists in top shape for their match." He gave Naruto a slap on the back; he stumbled forward slightly, and shot Jiraiya a mean glare.

The proctor nodded before turning toward the crowd. "Ladies and gentleman," he said. "I'm sorry to report that the Final Match of the Chunin Exam will not take place until tomorrow at noon." Boos and yells from the crowd. "I'm sorry, but we need time to repair the arena and let our genin finalists rest…" More boos. Were people throwing things?

After another moment, the crowd finally realized they weren't going to get their way, and began to vacate the arena, chatting excitedly. Slowly, the many seats became empty. Naruto, Jiraiya, and Kakashi suddenly became aware of a group approaching them. As Naruto looked, he found they were being led by a girl with pink hair. He smiled as his stomach began to twist in an oddly comforting way.

"Naruto!" Sakura shouted as she, Shikamaru, Chouji and Ino reached them. She immediately threw her arms around his neck in a hug. It was so forceful that Naruto almost stumbled backward. He smiled softly, though, and wrapped his arms around her in turn. Jiraiya caught Kakashi's eye and flashed him a grin.

"I was so worried!" Sakura said breathlessly, not taking her arms away. "Are you alright?"

"I'm fine, Sakura," Naruto said quietly. A thought crossed his mind. Was she going to ask about his red chakra?

But she didn't say anything; she just continued to hug him there.

Shikamaru cleared his throat. "So, tomorrow, eh?"

Kakashi nodded. "That's right." He suppressed a chuckle. Shikamaru still didn't know that he was going to become a chunin.

Jiraiya turned. "I'd better go let Tsunade know," he said, starting in the direction of the infirmary.

Naruto's eyes widened. "Wait!" he said, breaking his hug with Sakura, and taking a step toward the pervy ninja. "I'm coming with you."

Sakura seemed to realize. "Me too!"

Kakashi looked at them, then Jiraiya. Jiraiya shrugged. "Alright, we'll all go." He laughed to try to lighten the mood, but he didn't think it worked.

Then they headed toward the infirmary, Jiraiya and Kakashi in the lead, followed by Shikamaru, Ino and Chouji, and finally Naruto and Sakura. Naruto stared at the ground as he walked. Sakura smiled sadly, and reached over, grasping his hand.

"Sasuke'll be just fine."

Naruto gave her a warm smile, weaving his fingers around her own. He didn't say anything. He didn't want to. He just wanted to walk like this.

Forever.

-

Up on the Kage's Balcony, a figure, obscured by the shadows of its rightist most wall, watched the event play out, then, with the smallest smile sitting across their lips, slipped into the shadows.

**End of Chapter.**

**A/N: Happy New Year Everyone! Hope your '09 was good, and here's hoping your '10's even better.**

**Next Chapter:**

**His Mind is in The Darkness**


	26. His Mind is in The Darkness

**A/N: A little late. I'm sorry. **

**Chapter 26**

**His Mind is in The Darkness**

Naruto had never thought the hallway to the infirmary was longer; every step echoed around him, and they only seemed to extend the path. Sakura's fingers felt warm as they twisted around his own. She was practically pulling him down the hallway, but he didn't really mind that. Jiraiya and Kakashi were leading the genin rather quickly, obviously concerned about Sasuke's condition themselves.

Naruto was also worried about Sasuke, but he couldn't help but think about other things. Like Sengi and his total freak out during his fight with Sasuke. But the more Naruto thought about it, the more it frightened him, the fact that there was another Jinchuriki in the exams besides Gaara and himself.

Sakura finally let go of his hand. He looked up with a mix of wanting and confusion. The expression on her face was somber. He turned his head and found the entryway to the Infirmary to their left; there were constant sounds and colors emitting from it. Jiraiya had already stepped inside.

"Wait here," Kakashi instructed, entering the room. There was a sudden clash, followed by heated whispering. Naruto cocked his head. What were they talking about? Finally, after another moment or two, Kakashi poked his head out. He eyed Shikamaru, Ino, and Chouji. "They're still operating," he said slowly. "But I think she'll allow you to see him if you just stay out of the way... But just Team 7." He scratched the back of his head sheepishly. "Sorry, guys."

Ino stepped forward, looking as if she was about to say something, but Shikamaru threw up his hand, stopping her before she could even begin. "It's fine," he said to Naruto more then anyone else. "Go ahead." Naruto nodded at him gratefully, and grabbing Sakura's hand again, they followed Kakashi inside.

All but one of the beds had been pushed against the walls. The one that remained sat in the middle of the room, surround by medical ninjas and equipment; Naruto didn't even recognize some of the machines. Tsunade stood in the middle of the circle of people that surrounded the bed. A bright, green glow was coming from her.

Suddenly, the bed shook violently. "Argh!" Sasuke's voice. Some of the ninjas adjusted, placing their hands on the bed to hold it steady. "Argh! Gah!"

"Calm down, Sasuke…" Tsunade said in the calmest voice she could muster. "It'll pass soon, I promise… What's wrong with that arm!?"

"Chakra displacement is falling rapidly!"

"Get some more pressure on his side… We need to elevate this arm, quickly!"

"Right!"

Naruto stared wide-eyed as all this took place. He listened to Sasuke's yells and squeezed Sakura's hand tightly. She glanced at him, unable to determine what he was thinking. Kakashi and Jiraiya moved on either side of them. "Hang in there," Jiraiya said quietly. Sakura wondered who he was talking to.

"Ma'am, his left arm is still bleeding!"

"I'm aware…! What in the hell…? More chakra displacement, we need to patch up this skin!"

"Ma'am, it's rejecting all of our chakra!"

"What? How is that…?"

"Ma'am?"

"Damn it! Out of the way!"

Sakura couldn't help it; she felt tears form in her eyes. She quickly buried her face into Naruto's shoulder. Jiraiya caught Kakashi's eye and shook his head.

Kakashi placed a hand on Sakura's shoulder. "C'mon, Sakura. Let's get a little air." She seemed a little reluctant to pull away from Naruto, but he squeezed her hand, willing her to go. She didn't need to be here right now. Kakashi ushered her out, and Naruto turned to Jiraiya.

"What's going to happen?" The brightest green glow they'd seen yet dispensed from the chakra. Tsunade's hair and clothes were blowing everywhere.

Jiraiya thought about his answer. "I can't say… But Sasuke is strong. I'm confident he'll pull through."

A sudden yell burst from the table. "Gah!...Argh!...ARGH!" The bed was beginning to shake off its legs. "Gah!...Sengi!"

"Hold him down…" Tsunade commanded. "Hold him down!" Jiraiya rushed forward, and pushed through some of the ninjas to contribute some of his strength. Within seconds, the bed was still again.

Suddenly, that name slammed through Naruto's system: _SENGI. _He narrowed his eyes angrily, and clenched his fists. "Sengi…" The name sounded so foreign yet so familiar.

"We've almost got it!" Tsunade suddenly said. She was shifting around the table. "Keep that arm elevated! The cells are almost repaired; let's focus are attention to this wound now!"

A sudden gushing sound made Naruto jump.

"Ma'am, his arm!"

"Are you serious?! Quickly, I need an extra pair of hands over here!" Ninjas moved, shifted, and refocused. "Good, try to straighten out his bone a bit, and I'll contain the blood."

It continued like that for some time. Tsunade called out orders, the team followed them skillfully, and Jiraiya helped where he could. Sasuke would still yell in pain every now and then. Neither Sakura nor Kakashi had come back yet. That was fine with Naruto, though; he wanted to be alone for a bit, wanted to think.

At first, he thought he could really trust Sengi, after all, he had helped them during the Second Exam, and it had appeared he had wanted to become friends. So why? Why did he want to suddenly hurt people? What changed him? What did he want? And why? Thinking about Sengi, Naruto realized how little he really _knew_ about him. Was that his fault, though? It could be. Could the fact that Sasuke was like this be his fault too? Why wouldn't it?

The movement in the room finally stopped. Naruto focused his attention back to the scene in front of him. Many of the ninjas looked out of breath, but happy. They were straightening their backs, popping their necks, just generally relaxing. Tsunade slouched where she stood, staring down at the bed; she seemed to be focused on something. Jiraiya stood beside her, and the two exchanged whispers that Naruto couldn't make out.

"Kakashi!" she suddenly called. A second later, the jonin walked in through the door. Naruto waited, but there was no sign of Sakura. "She still needs a minute," he remarked as he passed him. Naruto frowned, but followed behind his sensei. The medical team dispersed as the two of them drew near, finally revealing Sasuke.

His clothes were still ripped, but he looked a lot better. Their were patches and bandages wrapped on various parts of his body. His legs, his sides, and there were even bandages wrapped around his forehead. Dried blood was still visible on his skin here and there. Perhaps the strangest thing, though, was his left arm. Elevated, it rested in a four pronged sling that extended from the side of the bed. Out of everything, it was the most heavily wrapped, the only visible parts being his fingertips. It looked almost limp. Sasuke laid peacefully, his eyes closed, and his breathing regular.

Kakashi gave out a long sigh. "It's _way_ better then I thought…" He looked up at Tsunade. "So he's gonna' be fine?"

Tsunade shifted her weight nervously. "_Normally_, yes…"

Kakashi raised his visible eyebrow in confusion. "Normally…?"

Tsunade cleared her throat. "Well that's the thing… You see, his left arm…" She paused. "It refuses to accept any type of chakra."

Kakashi frowned behind his mask. "What does that mean?"

"His left arm was broken in four places…several muscle tares throughout the skin…scarred tissue…some of the skin was actually burned off from the blast…" She took a moment. "My point is his left arm took some serious damage."

Naruto blurted, "But it's nothing you can't fix, right?"

Tsunade glanced at him. "_Normally_, yes… But that's the problem. No matter how much chakra we displaced through the arm, we could only repair some of the skin cells, and even then, we had to _really_ push for that." She looked down at Sasuke. "It's as if his arm is rejecting the chakra."

Kakashi didn't respond.

Tsunade continued. "And if his arm won't accept _our_ chakra…we have to assume it won't accept his _own_ either."

Kakashi suddenly raised his head. "But that means…"

Tsunade nodded solemnly. "That's right. With that much damage to his arm, and it unable to receive any kind of chakra, then…"

"…He'll _never_ be able to use it again…" Kakashi finished.

Naruto almost choked out of surprise. _What? Never!?_

Tsunade nodded again. "I believe his Limit is the cause of this. During his final attack, he tried to force the upmost power from his Limit, but his body couldn't take it, forcing the Limit to break. It caused a complete displacement, a _shift_ in the chakra points and nervous system in his arm, and as a result, he can't receive chakra properly." Naruto was confused; that didn't sound so bad. "Parts of the body that have become accustomed to chakra flow, such as the arms or legs, become so used to chakra that if they are suddenly deprived of it, they shut down…cease to work." Naruto tensed at that. She cleared her throat.

"It's normally not a problem, in fact, it even rarely occurs… But the Limit is complicating things. It's upset his chakra points to the point where they can't do anything at all. If his arm can't adapt to chakra again, and repair its nervous system, we're looking at a rehabilitation that could take months, even _years_…"

Kakashi hung his head low. Naruto looked from him to Tsunade. "But," he said, "you said you were able to repair some of his cells with chakra!"

Tsunade shook her head. "Repairing _cells_ isn't the same as trying to mend a whole _arm_… And even then, it wasn't enough." She looked back at Kakashi. "Sorry, Kakashi…"

"…this is all my fault…"

"…but his days as a Konoha shinobi are over."

"No!" Kakashi cried. "This isn't right! This wouldn't have happened if it hadn't been for his Limit!"

Naruto thought back to the bright blue chakra that had surrounded Sasuke. His mind flashed to his final Chidori. The raw power that was emitting from it then… And how bright and loud it had been. _Come to think of it… _Naruto suddenly thought, looking at Sasuke's elevated arm. _Sasuke uses Chidori with his left hand doesn't he…?_

Jiraiya took a step toward Kakashi. "No, Kakashi, this isn't your fault. While breaking his Limit probably is the cause of this, it didn't break on _accident_, you know. Sasuke's pride got in the way of his judgment; his body just couldn't take it. _That's_ why his arm's like this! It has nothing to do with you!"

"No…" Kakashi said quietly. "I should have stopped the match. If I'd only stopped the match…"

Jiraiya sighed. "Sasuke didn't want you to. He wouldn't have forgiven you either way!"

Kakashi was silent for a long moment. It was the first time Naruto had seen him almost…broken. "You're right…" His voice had half-returned to its calm authority; it was still a little shaky. He must have settled himself down a bit. "Still though, how am I supposed to tell him about this?"

"You won't," Tsunade replied. "I will."

Naruto looked down at Sasuke's face. It looked so calm, so oblivious to what was going on around him. _If only I had been picked to fight Sengi instead, _Naruto thought. _Maybe this could have been avoided…_

"_I swear I'm gonna' get stronger... I _know_ I'm gonna' get stronger, and when I do, you better watch out cause we haven't had a real match yet."_

"_I'm going to kill the person who did this to Naruto."_

"_God…you loser!"_

"_What's the matter, Naruto? Getting' a little nervous?"_

"_Our last fight was interrupted. I'd like to have one where that doesn't happen."_

"_Naruto! Naruto, what happened?!"_

"_Just eat it. You need your strength back. It's good, trust me."_

"_We both just have to win one more fight, and then we can battle for real."_

"_I guess…a little of you rubbed on me…"_

"_Then I guess… This'll be as far as I was meant to go…" _

The name slammed through his system again: _SENGI. _Naruto narrowed his eyes as a swell of chakra motioned inside of him. He was mad. No, more then that; he was furious. He felt his eyes become sharper, the Kyuubi's prescience unmistakable.

_**You want to help your friend.**_

…_I do._

_**You want to avenge him. He's just lost the use of his left arm, and you're angry.**_

_What…should I do?_

An evil, humorous laugh echoed around his skull. _**What do you think?**_

Naruto suddenly spun around, heading for the door. Jiraiya elbowed Kakashi, motioning toward Naruto's retreating back.

"Naruto!" Kakashi called, quickly overtaking him. Naruto stopped, Kakashi blocking the door. "Where are you going?" He saw it, too. The look in Naruto's eyes, there was no doubt...

Naruto frowned. "Where do you think?" He glanced back at Sasuke. "I'm going to make things right."

Kakashi raised an eyebrow, sensing something wrong. "With who?" Jiraiya asked from behind him.

"With Sengi." He spat the name.

Tsunade shook her head. "Look, Naruto, you need to go home. You just had a long battle, and you're just tired is all. Go home, get some-"

"_NO!" _Naruto yelled, cutting her off. "Shut up! I'm going to find Sengi, and make him pay!"

Kakashi put a hand on Naruto's shoulder. "Naruto…"

Naruto took a step back, shrugging him off. "No! He took one of Sasuke's arms!" He was breathing deeply. The Kyuubi growled in the back of his head. "So I'm gonna' take _both_ of his!" Kakashi frowned, and made brief contact with Jiraiya. They both nodded.

"Naruto," Jiraiya said firmly, stepping forward, and grabbing Naruto's arm. "Come with me. We're going for a walk." Naruto didn't move. "Come on," Jiraiya repeated.

Naruto tried to shrug himself free from Jiraiya's grasp, but to no avail; Jiraiya had a firm grip around his arm. He looked to the window, to Kakashi, then up to Jiraiya's tired face. He frowned defeated. "Fine!"

Kakashi moved to the side immediately, allowing Jiraiya to pull Naruto past him and into the hallway. They came into contact with Sakura, Shikamaru, Ino and Chouji. Sakura was no longer crying, but Naruto knew when she heard the news about Sasuke that would change. She seemed surprised to find him being drug out of the room.

"Naruto?" she questioned.

Jiraiya didn't even slow down. Naruto tried to say something, but Jiraiya tugged on his arm, forcing his mouth closed. A mix of confusion and worry passed over Sakura's face. She tossed a look toward Shikamaru before starting off down the hallway after them.

"Stay where you are!" Jiraiya suddenly yelled. Sakura stopped in her tracks instantly; she had never heard Jiraiya speak that forcefully before. She looked almost hurt.

Naruto spat angrily. "Don't you _dare_ yell at her!" He tried desperately to force himself free of Jiraiya's grip, but Jiraiya held on tight; he wasn't going anywhere. He turned around and gave Sakura sympathetic smile before they turned down a different hallway. Sakura didn't know what to make of the whole situation.

Kakashi stepped out. "All right, you four. You can come see him."

-

"Let me go! God, you perv, let me _go_!"

"Not until we get your head straight."

"What's that supposed to mean?

"You know exactly what it means."

They exited the stadium through the back, and were now heading through the back part of Konoha. Naruto had given up trying break out of Jiraiya's grip, instead he just went along with it, not really sure of what else to do; Jiraiya was intent on showing him _something_.

They walked for a while longer before finally stopping on a bridge over one of the many streams running through Konoha. Jiraiya finally let him go, and he immediately thought about taking off, but decided against it. Jiraiya was looking into the stream, staring his reflection right in the face.

"Come here, Naruto," he finally said. Naruto stepped beside Jiraiya, looking up at him. Suddenly, Jiraiya grabbed the back of his neck, and pushed it down, forcing Naruto to stare at his reflection. "There. What do you see?"

Naruto glanced at his reflection. "What kind of dumbass question is that?! I see myself."

Jiraiya pushed his neck down further. "Look again! What do you _really_ see?"

Naruto stared at his reflection. His eyes were a mix of blue and red, his pupils slit like a cat's. The features on his face were a lot more rough then they should be, giving him a sort of menacing look. Looking down at his hands, he saw his fingernails had turned into small, sharp claws. He took three deep breaths.

"I…see the Kyuubi."

Jiraiya pulled him upward, and stared down at him. "You have got to learn to calm yourself down. The Kyuubi feeds off your confusion, your anger. Sengi's Bijuu has completely locked him away; it is in control because Sengi can't be. Do you want that to happen? Do you want to be at the mercy of your demon?" He paused, taking a breath. Naruto had almost completely reverted back to normal. "Sengi's mind is in the darkness, and I believe…that you're the only person who can save him."

-

Jiraiya had said he had somewhere to be, so Naruto trudged back to the Infirmary by himself. He walked slowly, glancing at every face that passed by him on the street. A familiar scent suddenly filled his nostrils. He looked to his left and found that he had wondered onto the street that Ichiraku Ramen was located without even realizing it. He paused for a second before strolling over to it; he couldn't help himself.

The shack smelled even better on the inside.

"Ah, Naruto!" Teuchi said excitedly. In no time at all, he placed a bowl of Naruto's usual in front of him as he sat. "First one's on the house! These Chunin Exams have brought some real business around." He laughed.

Naruto snapped his chopsticks apart. "Thanks," he said.

Teuchi went into the back, and left Naruto alone. Naruto ate his ramen almost mindlessly. He was to busy thinking about Sengi. Had Jiraiya been right? Was he really the only one who could help Sengi? No, that couldn't be right. It just didn't make any sense.

"I had a feeling I'd find you here."

Naruto spun around in his seat and found Sakura standing inside the entryway. She was holding her arms behind her back nervously, and was staring at him sadly. To Naruto, she was as pretty as ever.

"Well, you found me," he finally said.

She gave him a smile, taking the seat next to him. They were silent for a while, Naruto just eating his ramen. Finally, Sakura said, "Sasuke's in pretty bad shape…"

Naruto tensed. "…I know."

She suddenly looked him in the eye. "Look, I know Master Jiraiya dragged you off like that because you got upset! Kakashi told me so! But… you have to fight Sengi tomorrow, and I just…" Tears were beginning to fill her eyes. "I don't want you to get…carried away tomorrow and end up like Sasuke!" They were streaming down her face now. "I don't know what I'd do…!" She leaned over, pushing her face into Naruto's sleeve. "Promise me, Naruto. Promise me you'll be careful."

Naruto relaxed, taking a deep breath. Sakura's sobs filled the shack. He picked her chin up, and looked down at her. Their faces were only inches apart. "If I promise, will you stop?" He grinned, wiping tears away with his thumb. "I hate it when you cry."

Then, over a bowl of unfinished ramen, he kissed her.

-

The Raikage stared out the window silently, eyes fixated on the now dark stadium. Night had descended upon Konoha, the village's lights blazed in every direction. Slowly, he bit his fingernail. Again.

The door behind him opened, and heavy footsteps thudded into the room. The Raikage didn't even have to guess if it was Sado or not.

"Lord Raikage," he greeted.

The Raikage didn't turn away from the window. "Hello, Sado. I assume your match went well."

"I blew it, if that's what you mean."

The Raikage smiled, continuing to stare out the window. "Excellent. Phase One is almost complete."

"I know." There was a muffled thud as Sado dropped his hospital bag to the floor. "Where's Sengi?"

"He's in his room, sleeping. He's already been examined and patched up by our medical ninjas."

"Good, he's going to need to be well rested for Naruto."

"So he's strong?"

"More so then we anticipated. We might have to resort to Plan B."

"I was planning to. I can handle Kakashi and Tsunade, but Jiraiya poses a serious problem."

"Any news from Orochimaru?"

"He checked in with me today, yes. He says his men are in position. He's been informed of Plan B."

"But what about the other Konoha Jonin? With Plan B, they'll surely try to interfere."

The Raikage laughed. "That's why Orochimaru supplied me with this." He held up a small scroll. "Trust me, Sado. Everything has been accounted for. You and Rin will just have to be in position. You'll have Sound Ninja to back you up."

Sado glanced around. "Speaking of Rin, where is she?"

"I sent her on a little reconnaissance. She should be back shortly."

"What's she gathering information on?"

Through the reflection of the window, Sado saw the Raikage smile. "Uzumaki Naruto."

A sudden rapping came from the door. It was stiff and quick.

"Rin," the Raikage mumbled. "Enter!"

The door cracked slightly, Rin slipped through swiftly. She closed it before striding next to Sado.

"Lord Raikage," she said.

"I trust you were successful."

She grinned triumphantly. "Of course I was!"

Sado snorted. "Successful at what?" he said mockingly. She shot him a mean glare. The Raikage still had not turned from the window.

"_I _found Naruto's weakness." She said more to Sado then the Raikage.

Sado laughed. "Ha! I _fought_ him, Rin! The only weakness that kid has is that he's to powerful for his own good."

Rin put her hands on her hips and tossed her ponytail from side to side. "First of all, I didn't see you _fight_ more then I saw you get your ass kicked." Sado narrowed his eyes at her. "Second of all, he _does_ have a weakness, for your information. I've been watching him ever since his match!"

"Enough bickering," the Raikage said. "Just spit it out, Rin."

Rin smiled. "Well you see, here's the beauty of it, because it kind of goes along with Plan B, if you get what I'm saying…"

Sado threw his arms in the air. "Just say it already!"

The Raikage had finally turned away from the window, and Rin smiled at the two of them.

"Sakura Haruno."

**End of Chapter. **

**Next Chapter:**

**An Eye for an Eye,  
And an Arm for an Arm.**


	27. An Eye for an Eye, And an Arm for an Arm

**Chapter 27**

**An Eye for an Eye, **

**And an Arm for an Arm**

Noon.

The sun sat high above the stadium filled with people, not a cloud in sight. Every shop, restaurant, and business shut down today, figuring everyone would be here, and they were right. There wasn't a soul around who would miss this for anything. It was the final match of the Chunin Exams! Konoha's very own number one unpredictable ninja, Naruto Uzumaki, battling against Kumogakure's Sengi, a ninja who had _somehow_ gotten this far…

It was noon, and the match should be starting any second… If only…

"WHERE IS _NARUTO_?!" Tsunade practically yelled in Kakashi's ear.

Kakashi took a step back, glancing at the Raikage who sat in usual chair next to Tsunade's. "I don't know," he said honestly. "Last I saw him, Master Jiraiya was dragging him away from the Infirmary yesterday."

Tsunade scowled. She had actually met with Jiraiya last night. _"A lead may have opened up," _he told her last night. _"I'd like to stay to see Naruto's match, but I don't have the time; I can't let this one slip out from under me, so I'm leaving at dawn." He had looked at her then. "Promise me one thing, though, as a good-bye gift. No matter what happens, don't stop Naruto's match." _Tsunade shook her head. He had said it more as an order then a request. But she hadn't answered him.

_Come to think of it, _she suddenly thought, glancing to the bunker to the arena, and scanning the faces of the crowd. _Sengi isn't here either… _She looked at the Raikage. "Where's Sengi?" she asked.

He didn't answer her right away; he just continued to stare down into the arena blankly. Slowly, he finally turned his head to meet her. "I don't know. I felt he needed a bit more sleep, so I went ahead and left, leaving Sado behind to make sure he gets here on time." He paused. "Where's Naruto?"

She didn't have an answer, she didn't even have a _half_-answer like he did, but she was going to say something nonetheless. Or at least, she would have if she hadn't of been distracted as soon as she opened her mouth.

A sudden scream came from the left side of the stadium, completely cutting her off. Kakashi and the Raikage's bodyguards immediately shifted to attention as more screams perked up, Kakashi even coming to the edge of the balcony to get a better look. Tsunade sat back in her chair. Those didn't sound like screams of fear or even anger. _Those are more of…screams of _excitement.

As if to confirm her thoughts, Kakashi relaxed onto the balcony. "Don't worry," he said to Tsunade and the Raikage. "It's just Naruto. People are screaming because he's finally arrived."

Tsunade chuckled. "Well, it's about time."

-

"Hey, Naruto!"

"Oh my…! It's Naruto!"

"Hey, look! Naruto!"

"Dude, Naruto's finally here!"

Naruto hadn't been expecting this. The shouts and screams that arrived with his arrival through the main entry way certainly did surprise him. He clutched Sakura's hand for comfort, unsure if he was nervous or excited. Maybe both?

Sakura smiled at him as he wrapped his fingers around her own, and pulled him closer to her. A strange warmth filled her body; she felt as light as air. She scanned the faces for Ino, and she found her quickly, her blonde ponytail easily spotted.

She laughed. "C'mon!" she said playfully, pulling Naruto to Ino, Chouji, and Shikamaru's seats. "Hey guys," she said when they reached them.

She saw Ino eye her and Naruto's hands, and she looked up at Sakura. Shikamaru seemed to notice it too, but didn't say anything about it. "Hey, Naruto. Sakura."

"What's up?" Naruto asked.

Shikamaru laughed. "Well, we've been waiting for you," he replied. "The match was supposed to start…" He glanced up at the sun. "I dunno, like ten minutes ago?"

Naruto scratched the back of his head sheepishly. "Yeah, sorry, I don't keep track of time that well."

"We could tell the other day with your big, flashy, _late _entrance."

Naruto laughed, then looked around. "Where's Sengi?" His voice was suddenly calm, almost serious.

Shikamaru shrugged. "He's not here yet either. You're both late."

Naruto nodded. "Well better not keep them waiting." He gestured to the crowd around him. Before Sakura took her seat in-between Shikamaru and Ino, he bent forward slightly, and gave her a quick kiss on the forehead. She blushed furiously, but as he did so, she leaned forward, and whispered something to him. He smiled at the four of them when she sat down. "See ya'!"

"Naruto, wait!" He hadn't taken to steps. He looked back at Shikamaru. "I know it isn't like you to think like I do, but I want to give you a piece of advice." Shikamaru recalled Sasuke's battle yesterday, and the condition he had seen him put in. "There's no shame in giving up, you know. If things get to rough, sometimes the smartest thing you can do is retreat, no matter what you're going after."

Naruto stared at him. He didn't say anything for a while, as if he was just thinking about what Shikamaru said. Suddenly, he looked up and gave them all a small sad smile. A second later, he was jumping backward, over everyone's heads, straight into the stadium. He landed on the now repaired, smooth ground, and slid to the middle of the arena where the proctor stood.

Shikamaru frowned. He looked beside him at Sakura. She looked almost happy. "Aren't you worried about him? You know how he is…"

She gave Shikamaru an expression awash with emotions. He couldn't make heads or tails of it. "Of course I'm worried," she said. "But he promised me nothing would happen to him." She giggled. "And he never goes back on his promises."

-

"Ah! Hello, Naruto!" the proctor exclaimed as he landed. "It's about time you got here."

"I know, and I'm sorry." He looked up at the Kage's Balcony. "Where's Sengi?"

"I assume he's on the way."

Naruto didn't respond. He still wasn't totally sure what he should do. _"…I believe you're the only person who can save him." _So what if that was true? What did it matter? How could he possibly even _think_ about saving someone that put Sasuke in that kind of condition?

_**You don't. **_

But what is it really Sengi's fault? Maybe he wasn't strong enough to control his Bijuu. _But if that's true… Then why did they even bring him here?_

The proctor looked around, tapping his foot. He decided he'd give it another minute, then ask Tsunade what she wanted to do.

"**Looking for someone?" **

Naruto jerked his head around. There wasn't a doubt in his mind on who had said that. Sure enough, as he looked, he saw Sengi standing on the very top of the portion of the wall that didn't have rows and rows of seats. His arms were crossed, and his clothes and hair blew in the breeze. He stared down at Naruto.

Naruto stared back.

"Ah! There you are, Sengi!" The proctor motioned at him. "Go ahead and come on down so we can start."

Sengi waited a beat, and stepped off the wall. He fell spread-eagle, with his arms and legs spread out. Right before he hit the ground though, he tucked them in, and landed on his feet. Casually, he walked towards Naruto and the proctor. With each step he took, Naruto felt something inside him tighten, almost painfully. When he finally reached them, Naruto realized he had clenched his fists.

"Well, alright, congratulations on reaching the Final, you two. You've both had to conquer a lot, but using your own skills and the teamwork your comrades provided you with, you've managed to reach the Final stage." He raised his hands up and yelled to the crowd. "Here these two stand, better then all the others!" The crowd erupted in a fit of excitement, but Naruto didn't care, in fact, he was pretty much droning out their noise anyway; Sengi wouldn't stop smirking at him.

The proctor lowered his voice. "You both remember the rules, correct?" They both nodded. "Good, well, good luck to both of you…" He raised his arm, looking from one to the other. With one swift movement, he swung it down in between them, and leaped a good distance away. "You may begin!" Sengi didn't waste a second. In a flash he was up in the air. He drew a kunai from his holster, and came down upon Naruto, who hadn't moved.

Sengi held the blade out in front of him. **"If you're not going to move, that's fine with me!" **

Then, at the last second, Naruto stepped backward, avoiding the knife. He drew his fist back, making to punch, but Sengi had already scooted away. Naruto reached down, and cautiously snatched the kunai out of the ground. He held it out in front of him, but didn't say anything.

Sengi smirked, digging two kunai out of his weapons pouch. He rushed Naruto with them, but Naruto didn't give him any time; he quickly formed two hand signs, and thrust an open palm out. "Wind Style: Turning Winds!" A funnel of wind escaped from his palm, nailing Sengi right in his gut. He was being lifted off the ground, and realizing this, he swiftly embedded his two kunai into the ground, and held on as tight as he could. He could feel his grip slipping, but he refused to let go. Soon, the wind ended, and he flopped on his stomach, still holding on to the kunai.

"Why're you in such a hurry?" Naruto asked. "I want to talk."

Sengi slowly got to his feet, bringing his knives with him. **"Please…" **he said sarcastically. **"I'm all ears." **

"Not to you," Naruto said forcefully. "To Sengi."

Sengi raised an eyebrow. **"And what could you possibly want to talk to **_**him**_** about?"**

Naruto countered quickly, narrowing his eyes aggressively. "Why do you care?"

Sengi frowned, but only for a second. **"Fine then. No one will get to talk at all!" **He swiftly tossed one of his kunai right at Naruto. Naruto didn't falter, though, using the kunai he obtained earlier to deflect it away as it neared him.

"I wasn't asking!" Naruto shouted. "I said we were going to talk!"

Sengi began to do hand signs. **"Not today." **He raised his middle and index fingers of his right hand. **"Ninja Art: Lightning Strike!"**

The lightning crackled out of his fingers like a whip, twirling toward Naruto's location. Naruto dove on the ground as soon as Sengi shot, and the lightning passed over him harmlessly. As he ducked, he rolled, jumping back to his feet, and charging at Sengi. Sengi smirked, charging in turn. When they met, their kunai clashed, and they were left pushing against each other.

Naruto grunted as he tried to find his footing. "I won't forgive you for what you did to Sasuke!"

Sengi pushed back. **"Do not blame me. Sasuke refused to give up. I did what I had to do." **

Naruto growled. "You Bijuu are all the same!"

Sengi broke away. **"Which is exactly why I'll rid you of your burden!"**

As soon as Sengi backed off, Naruto crossed his finger. "Shadow Clone Jutsu!" Instantly, three clones appeared around him, and the four of them rushed Sengi. The two in front jumped up, and punched at Sengi, but he flipped away. The two that remained followed up with shuriken, but he deflected them with his kunai.

Sengi wasn't impressed. **"Is that all?!"**

Suddenly, three of the Naruto's got in a circle, and jumped in front of the last one. They each pulled out two kunai, and twisted in the air, interlocking their legs, and holding their weapons straight above their heads. They were spinning slightly. The Naruto that remained performed two quick hand signs before holding out an open palm.

"Turning Winds!" In a second, a gush of wind poured out of Naruto's palm, blasting his three clones away. At first, it seemed unorthodox, but as he watched, Sengi discovered that they were actually twisting in time with the wind as they moved, their kunai's edges spinning violently as they went. It was a giant clone shuriken! And it was heading straight for Sengi!

Sengi acted quickly, and jumped high above the clones right before they got to him. He smirked to himself, as they crashed against the wall, disappearing among the smoke. He raised his head, but only to find the final, real Naruto above him, leg extended. He gasped as Naruto brought his leg down full force, sending Sengi flying into the earth. He hit it hard.

Naruto landed a bit away from him, and slowly, Sengi rose to his feet. He coughed. **"You definitely are full of surprises… As Sado told me." **He popped his neck. **"But you'll have to do better then that!" **

"Oh believe me…" Naruto said, closing his eyes. He searched down a familiar path in his mind until he was standing in front of a giant, dark cage.

"**So you want to perform the connection?"**

"Yes. I'll use the Interaction Taijutsu to end this quickly."

"**If you're sure…"**

A sudden warmth spread throughout Naruto's whole body as he opened his eyes. Sengi raised an eyebrow. He seemed a lot calmer now, more focused. "I will!" Naruto finally finished saying before he rushed Sengi once more.

_**So fast! **_Sengi thought as Naruto retracted his fist. He released, but Sengi ducked, and kicked up at him. Naruto caught his leg, though, and spun him around, flinging him away. As Sengi flipped, he performed his hand signs. Twisting in the air, he pointed at Naruto. **"Lightning Strike!" **Naruto was turning around as he said it.

_**Move, boy!**_

_Shut up! I know!_

Naruto sidestepped the lightning as it passed, and ran at Sengi, kunai drawn. Sengi drew his own kunai and threw it as jumped in the air, instantly performing more signs. Naruto threw his as well, and they clashed to the ground as they hit each other. Naruto stopped short when he saw that Sengi had stopped his signs, and was taking a huge intake of breath. He blew, and suddenly, three lightning bolts jolted from his mouth. Naruto gasped as they twisted together, making an even bigger one.

He quickly back flipped away as the bolt collided with the earth, creating a huge dust cloud. Naruto frowned, glancing up at Sengi, only to find he was no longer there.

_What!?_

_**You fool!**_

Suddenly, Sengi came barrowing out of the smoke, punching at Naruto. With no time to react, Naruto could only take the hit. He was punched away a bit, but quickly found his footing, his chest stinging. Sengi touched the ground before twisting through the air at him again. Naruto put up his hands to block the obvious kick. The force of the attack sent them both sliding backwards, Sengi still in mid-kick. Naruto's eyes widened in surprise as he saw Sengi's hands separating from hand signs. Sengi brought his arm forward quickly, his two fingers just inches away from Naruto's face.

"**Now you die!"**

Suddenly, the ground below Sengi erupted, and two figures rose from the earth, grabbing the back of Sengi's shirt, and throwing him away. Sengi's lightning shot straight up into the air harmlessly. He hit the ground hard, but soon twisted back to his feet.

"**What the…?!" **The two figures that had come up from the ground were two of Naruto's clones from earlier. He glanced behind him and saw two, large holes at the base of the wall. He turned back to Naruto. **"Impossible!" **he spat.

Naruto grinned as his two clones got into position beside him. "Nope!"

Sengi growled. He hadn't expected Naruto to be this good. _**That Lightning Blitz used a lot of Sengi's chakra… **_He straightened up, popping his back. He smirked to himself. _**Very well…**_

He jumped far back from Naruto, beginning to form many hand signs in quick succession. Naruto gasped, unaware of what he was doing, but he knew that that many hand signs was never good. He and his clones raced after the retreating Sengi.

Thanks to the Kyuubi's chakra, they reached him fairly quickly, Naruto's two clones out in front. They jumped at him from separate angles, fists drawn back for punches. However, at that exact moment, Sengi slammed his right hand on the ground.

"**Too late!" **

Instantly, the clouds overhead began to thunder, and a spray of lightning shot down from the sky, colliding straight with Sengi's head. Naruto gasped; he had seen that during Sasuke's battle. The force of the lightning bolt had slowed his clones down, but they were upon him now ready to unleash their fists.

Sengi acted quickly. He swiftly raised both his arms, and shot two lightning bolts at that same time. They shredded through Naruto's clones, helpless in the air, and disappearing in a puff of smoke. The real Naruto flipped through their smoke, tossing a kunai at Sengi, who ducked under it, stomping his foot.

Immediately, electricity shot out of the ground at Naruto. He gasped and twisted, doing his best to avoid the harmful sparks. They just barely scraped his back. When he twisted back around to face Sengi, he was surprised to see a kunai coming directly for his face. He quickly tried to shift his weight to the left to avoid it, but he wasn't quick enough. Sengi slashed his cheek.

A bit of blood dripped down the side of his face, but he didn't falter, especially since Sengi was so close. He shook his right arm, a kunai slipping from out of his sleeve. He caught it, and took a step forward, slashing at Sengi in turn. The process repeated: Sengi tried to shift away, but wasn't fast enough, as Naruto cut the side of his face.

There was a moment where neither of them moved, but soon they both jumped away from each other, breathing deeply.

Sengi wiped away the blood with his sleeve, nodding as if in approval. **"An eye for an eye," **he said almost distantly.

Naruto shrugged it off, he didn't need his complements. Sengi looked up toward the now dark sky, as if figuring out what to do next. Naruto's eyes widened in surprise! This was an opportunity he couldn't pass up! He quickly crossed his fingers, and five clones appeared around him. They all charged straight for Sengi.

_**You fool. He'll never succumb to an all out frontal assault!**_

_I have to do something!_

Sengi re-focused just as the first clone reached him. He stepped back avoiding the clone's kick. About to retaliate, he had to stop himself because a second clone was flanking his right side, kunai drawn. Sengi raised his own kunai to block, but no sooner had their blades ricochet from each other, he had to twist to avoid another clone's kunai. It continued like that: block, block, dodge, dodge, block, dodge. Before long, though, they got through; a punch here, a knife wound there. Sengi's body was soon caked in cuts and bruises, but not anything to serious.

"**ENOUGH!" **

He quickly balanced on one leg as the clones surrounded him. He began to twist rapidly, arms outstretched. As he spun, electricity trailed out of his fingers, following his pattern. He began to gain more speed, more electricity dripping out of his fingers and now his mouth. Soon, a small electric tornado the size of Sengi was formed. It began to glide across the crowd, sucking the Narutos into its vortex. They cried out as the hit the sparking force, vanishing in an envelope of smoke.

The tornado finally ceased, Sengi becoming clear as the electricity he was just emitting evaporated into the air. He was breathing heavily, and staggered slightly. Whatever jutsu he had just performed left him completely drained. He coughed, and placed his hands on his knees in frustration.

_**Well…there went the last of Sengi's chakra…**_

Someone suddenly punched him square in the gut with such force he was sent flying backward into the stadium wall. He hit with a loud crack, slid back to the ground. He coughed again, but this time blood came with it. He raised his hand and found Naruto running towards him. At first he raised an eyebrow. _**But… I destroyed all the clones… **_Then he was hit with realization: He had forgotten the _REAL _Naruto.

Naruto reached him, grabbed his arm, and yanked it up, bringing Sengi slightly off the ground along with it. Sengi caught a glimpse of his eyes, deep and flaring. Angry.

"An eye for an eye, huh…?" Naruto said. He was taking deep breaths, as if he was trying to keep himself from doing something. Sengi spit at the ground, nodding slightly. _**Damn it, I still need a little more time to gather my own chakra…**_

Naruto took a final breath, squeezing Sengi's arm. "Then an arm for an arm!"

He began to squeeze even tighter, his grip digging into Sengi, who yelled in pain.

"**Argh! Agh! I'll! Argh…! I'll kill you-Argh!"**

Naruto's face contorted into pure rage, his eyes flaring up again, flashing a deep red. He tightened his grip, his nails beginning to cut into the skin… He could feel the blood!

"**ARGH!"**

Suddenly, a powerful force of green chakra swept around Sengi's entire body. Almost instantly, a pattern of green electricity spiraled down his arm, shocking Naruto's hand away.

"Damn!" Naruto grunted, fanning his hand as he scooted away. He watched as Sengi sprang to his feet, clenching his fists. All the cuts and wounds he had received over the course of the battle slowly began to evaporate away in fits of smoke. He stood tall, seemingly almost a new person.

Naruto frowned, taking a step back. He had though he had won, but it was only just beginning.

Literally.

Sengi glanced up at the sky again, then to the Kage's balcony, but as Naruto followed his gaze, more specifically, to the Raikage. The Raikage gave the smallest of nods, Sengi giving a nod in return.

The next moment happened in a flash.

Sengi vanished in a burst of speed.

-

A sudden, chilling air overcame Sakura Haruno. There was suddenly a great chakra behind her, and she hesitated to turn around in her seat. But she did.

There, squatting on the top of her seat, was Sengi and his ferocious, drilling eyes. He stared right at her. She became paralyzed in fear. In one swift movement, he hit her in the side of her neck. She was knocked out instantly, but he caught her as she drooped forward. He gave an evil smirk as Shikamaru stood, drawing a kunai, but it was too late. As quickly as he appeared, he was gone.

-

In a flash, Sengi landed at the top of the stadium wall where he had first appeared at the beginning of the match, knelt down, his back to Naruto. It didn't take Naruto a second to realize what he was holding. Or rather, _who_ he was holding.

Naruto felt a sudden panicking cold sweep through his entire body. The stadium, the crowd, the Kyuubi... They all seemed so far away now. "What in the hell do you think you're doing!" he shouted up at the cloud nin. A cool bead of sweat dripped down his cheek.

Sengi didn't reply. Instead, he only bent his knees, and jumped from the wall.

Gone.

**End of Chapter**

**Next Chapter:**

**Initiate Plan B! **


	28. Initiate Plan B!

**Chapter 28**

**Initiate Plan B!**

Disbelief blanketed Naruto. What had just happened? At first he thought he had just been seeing things. He blinked, and refocused on the spot where Sengi had just been. Nope. He still wasn't there. He had really _left_! He had really taken Sakura and _left_!

Apparently, the crowd must have begun to realize it as well, because soon gasps and screams echoed throughout the stadium. Naruto's head began to spin, and he looked up towards the Kage's balcony. Tsunade was on her feet, taking steps toward the Raikage, who was still seated, Kakashi right on her heels. The Raikage's guards had stepped in-between them. The Raikage, himself, was actually staring down at Naruto. Naruto caught his gaze, and slowly, his lips formed a sneer. Naruto gasped as the Raikage mouthed a single, simple sentence that made his heart stop.

"If you want to see her alive again, go!"

Anger swelled up inside Naruto, the Kyuubi's influence becoming harder and harder to ignore, and with a single leap, he landed on the top of the stadium before jumping again, off in the direction Sengi had gone.

l

"Raikage! What in the _hell_ is going on?"

With guards in-between them, Tsunade was staring down the Raikage, who despite what Sengi had just done, was remaining surprisingly calm.

"You better explain yourself! Right now!" she continued.

The Raikage still made no attempt to rise from his chair. "…For Naruto and Sengi to really battle to their heart's content, there must be no one present."

Tsunade took a step back. "What do you mean?" When the Raikage did not reply, Tsunade turned to Kakashi. "Notify all the nearest jonin! We are going to retrieve Naruto and Sakura immediately!"

As Kakashi made to move, however, the Raikage finally rose from his chair. In one swift movement, he slipped a scroll from under his sleeve, unrolled it, and made a single hand sign. A bright, white light flashed around them, and when Tsunade opened her eyes, she found a large white barrier had outlined the Kage's balcony. She gasped.

"What is _this_?" she demanded.

"It is a barrier to keep you from doing anything to rash, Tsunade."

"How dare you!" Tsunade replied, balling a fist. "Just what do you think you're doing?"

The Raikage stared up toward the sky, past the barrier's ceiling. "Tell me, Tsunade… You are aware that if a Jinchuriki dies, his Bijuu also perishes. Gone forever. Correct?"

Tsunade gulped loudly. "Of course I know that! What's your point?"

The Raikage chuckled. "Then tell me this… Do you know what happens when a Jinchuriki kills _another_ Jinchuriki?" He turned his gaze on her now. He seemed to be staring into her very thoughts.

Tsunade avoided his stare. Truthfully, she didn't know.

The Raikage continued, "Then allow me to explain. When a Jinchuriki kills another Jinchuriki, the victor is able to claim the other's Bijuu as their own…the spoils of the battle, so to speak."

Tsunade froze. "What…?"

"That's right. You heard me correctly. If one dies by the hand of the another, the victor has the option…the _right_ to take the other's Bijju as his own."

Tsunade stood open-mouthed. "So what you are telling me…is a Jinchuriki can have _two_ demons sealed within them?"

The Raikage laughed. "Oh, more than that if they choose. But…yes. Multiple sets of tails, so to speak."

Tsunade shook her head. "Impossible! No Jinchuriki's seal is strong enough to support more then one Bijju!"

The Raikage sneered. "Well, we'll soon find out, won't we?"

Kakashi took a place beside Tsunade. "I'll go ahead and tell you this much, as long as Sakura is at stake, Sengi will _never_ defeat Naruto."

The Raikage narrowed his eyes at them. "It doesn't matter! No one is going _anywhere_! This stadium is now in complete lockdown!"

Tsunade laughed, taking a seat back in her chair. "You may have _us_ trapped in here, Lord Raikage, but it's only a matter of time before one of my jonin figure out what's going on."

The Raikage gave a small smirk. "You misunderstood me, Lady Hokage. When I say the _stadium_ is in lockdown, I mean that _literally_. No one is leaving! Just take a look."

Tsunade did, and what she saw astounded her. From the very top of each stadium wall, a wall of silver light extended, creating a dome of a barrier from wall to wall.

Tsunade gasped, and the Raikage chuckled. "The ground entrances are the same way. Like I said, _no_ _one_ _is_ _leaving_!"

l

As soon as Sengi had disappeared with Sakura, Shikamaru had immediately taken to his feet, taking off for Asuma. He knew exactly where he was sitting, and within seconds, he was standing in front of his sensei.

"Asuma-sensei!"

Asuma had also stood. "Naruto just took off as well… Come! Shikamaru!" He took off for the Kage's Balconey with Shikamaru right behind him. "We're going to Lady Tsunade…!" He suddenly stopped dead in his tracks, causing Shikamaru to bump into him.

Peering from around his sensei, Shikamaru spotted what had made Asuma stop cold. A pure white barrier had just erected around the balcony. They stood where they were, Asuma just thinking for a long while. Finally, after what seemed like days, he spoke.

"Alright, Shikamaru, we're going to find a few more jonin, and then head after Naruto and Sakura ourselves, but before that we need…"

_Shoosh! _

The sound of a barrier… Glancing up at the sky, Shikamaru found a silver dome cascading from one wall to the other. They were trapped.

"Asuma!" Turning, Asuma and Shikamaru found Gai landing behind them. "I'm sure you're aware of the situation?"

Asuma nodded. "Yes. Two genin are missing; one kidnapped, one in pursuit. Our Hokage is trapped within a barrier along with the Raikage. Furthermore, we're all trapped inside this stadium from what appears to be a similar barrier."

Gai nodded in agreement. "Exactly. On the Hokage's situation, I think she will be fine considering Kakashi is trapped in there with her. On our situation, I'm not entirely sure. It will take time to find the barrier's weakness, if it has any." He paused for a second, a small smile manifesting on his lips. "However, on the Naruto situation, there is some good news…"

Asuma raised an eyebrow. "Really?"

Gai's smile grew wider. "I managed to slip someone outside of the stadium before the barrier took place. He should be in hot pursuit as we speak."

Asuma looked surprised, but Shikamaru sighed, already guessing who Gai would possibly send. "Really, Gai? Who did you manage to slip away?"

Gai smiled even wider, flashing both of them a thumbs up. "Lee!"

Asuma's jaw dropped. "Gai, you can't be serious! How could you even think about sending Lee after Naruto by himself!"

Gai's smile didn't waver. "Part of being a sensei is knowing when the time is right to put something out of your control in your student's hands, Asuma. I trust Lee with my life. That is why I sent him."

Asuma put a hand over his face. "But…!"

Suddenly, however, Gai spoke up. "Quiet! There's trouble. Look up!"

They did, and what they saw dumbfounded them; dozens of Sound and Cloud ninja walking along the top of the barrier. They were making some kind of formation.

"The Cloud _and_ the Sound… I knew it!" Asuma said.

Gai nodded. "It seems they've been planning this from the beginning…"

All around them, the crowd of villagers began to scream with a mix of terror and horror. At that same time, the ninjas at the top of the barrier began to kneel and place their hands on it. Almost instantly, they began to slowly dissolve through it, as if their bodies were made of liquid.

"Damn," Asuma cursed. "They're entering!"

Gai nodded. "As important as Naruto and Sakura are, protecting the villagers now takes top priority."

Asuma reached into his pocket for a cigarette, slipped it into his mouth, and lit it. He took a slow drag before answering. "Yeah."

Gai took off for the middle of the stadium. Asuma dug out his trench knives before turning around to Shikamaru. "They planned this… Listen, Shikamaru, all of the jonin and chunin are going to have to calm down the situation here…" He took another drag of his cigarette. "So I'm leaving Naruto to you. He still needs to be stopped from doing anything to reckless!"

Shikamaru was stunned. "What? But…!"

Asuma stopped him. "No, no but's. I guess it's okay to spoil this for you now, but you were going to be made a chunin from your excellent fight against Sado the other day. Now as a chunin, you'll be expected to take on bigger responsibilities, and tougher missions. And this will be your first: Escape from this barrier with as little effort as possible, track down Naruto, and rescue Sakura. Do you understand?"

It was all coming in with such force and swiftness: Chunin? Mission? Escape barrier, rescue Sakura? Almost unaware he was doing it, Shikamaru nodded.

Asuma smiled. "Excellent, Shikamaru. I'm proud to be your sensei." He turned to go, blowing smoke as he did. "A little advice, I'm sure someone from the Hyuga clan could help with the barrier!" And with that, he jumped away in the direction Gai had gone.

Shikamaru closed his eyes and took a step back to gather his thoughts. Okay, he was a chunin now. And he had his first mission: Escape, stop Naruto, and rescue Sakura…. Sounded easy enough. He knew he couldn't go alone; there was no telling what kind of other dangers the Sound and Cloud had set up. No, he needed a partner, at least… Someone strong and clever… There was also the barrier to consider, that was the first obstacle… He needed to locate someone from the Hyuga clan to help him with that, and fast… But he didn't want more baggage, nearly forgetting about Lee… How far gone was he? He needed to catch up… He needed a plan… He needed… He needed…!

"Neji!" Shikamaru suddenly said, his eyes springing wide open. He took off in a random direction, craning his neck in every possible way. _I need to find Neji_, he thought. _It's perfect! He can help me with the barrier, and the rest of the mission. He's strong, plus he's on the same team as Lee!_

Shikamaru couldn't help but smile to himself as he ran through the chaotic villagers and noise.

_Success! _

l_  
_

The girl was heavier then he thought she'd be. Landing on another rooftop, Sengi paused for a second. He resituated Sakura to his other shoulder, straightened out his back, and just like that he was off again.

_**I know I put somef distance between myself and Naruto, but I need to slow down a bit so he can at least know what direction I'm going.**_

They had picked out the spot _weeks_ ago, and that was where he was headed. That was to be where he would vanquish the Kyuubi. He still had to pass the Konoha gates, but after that it would be a straight shot to the spot.

He glanced up at the sun. _**I'm making good time, **_he thought. _**But I need to try and conserve my chakra. I've already depleted Sengi's supply, and it would appear that Naruto still has quite a bit of his own left… When we finally get there, I'll have to be precise…**_

A voice from the distance… "Sengi!"

Jumping from rooftop to rooftop, Sengi glanced behind him. About fifty yards back was Naruto, finally in sight. _**Well, **_Sengi thought. _**It seems he decided to give chase sooner then I had thought. **_

Naruto yelled again. "Sengi! Sakura has nothing to do with this! Put her down!"

Sengi smirked and yelled back. **"If you want her, Naruto, you'll have to come and take her!" **He landed on the next rooftop, focusing a bit more chakra into his legs. When he took off again, he began to take the roofs two at a time.

Naruto cursed. "Coward!" he shouted, increasing his speed as well. "Fight me!"

l

About another fifty yards behind Naruto, a young man clad in green was racing through the streets of Konoha. Chaos had erupted here as well. Word about the stadium was quickly spreading through the village… Of course, it didn't hurt you could see the barrier from a mile away. The boy spun around an old man quickly stacking boxes on a cart.

"Come on!" He was shouting inside the building he was standing in front of. "I don't like the looks of that barrier! We're getting to a safe house!"

The boy didn't lose any speed. He was quickly and skillfully maneuvering his way though crowded, panic filled streets. Hopping over a small child, ducking under men carrying packages, even wall jumping across stacks of kick-knacks and other personal belongings. All the while, though, he stayed focused. He wasn't going to let his sensei down!

Realizing he might be able to locate Naruto easier from higher location, he bent his knees mid step, and jumped on top of the nearest rooftop. Not ceasing his momentum for a second, he took off again, running and jumping across the building of Konoha. There were a lot of things people made fun of him for, but one thing no one could ever say anything about was his speed.

He squinted his eyes, hoping he'd be able to catch a glimpse of orange somewhere in front of him…

"Oh!" He said in surprise. Yes, he could see it! There was a small orange and black blur a bit of a ways directly in front of him. "Most excellent!" he exclaimed. "In a few short minutes, I will catch up to him in no time." He smiled to himself. The first mission Gai-sensei entrusted to him would be a complete success!

_Whoosh!_

He stopped short, sensing movement above him. Checking, he found he had guessed correctly. Two ninjas suddenly landed in front of him, kunai raised. Glancing at their headbands, he saw they were from the Hidden Cloud Village. The boy took a step back, getting in his usual stance.

"And just where do you think you're going, kid?" the ninja on the right asked.

The boy didn't answer.

The ninja on the left chuckled. "It doesn't look like he wants to talk…and, ya know, that's fine with me. You're gonna die anyway."

The ninja on the right was nodding in agreement. "Lord Raikage thought a few of you would escape before the barrier finished, so he set up a couple of cells to defend the way… But just _one_ kid! That's hysterical!" They both began to laugh.

The boy stood his ground, shifting his sights to each ninja in turn. _Damn! _He thought. _I cannot afford to waste time here. I will lose Naruto!_

The Cloud ninjas refocused their attention. "Alright, it's time…" As he spoke though, the nin gasped in surprise. The boy had suddenly disappeared in a flash! The one on the right took a step back. "What the-!"

_Smack!_

The ninja on the left turned quickly as his comrade began to fall face forward. There! The boy was standing behind him, his hand coming back from a chopping motion.

The remaining Cloud nin spat angrily. "Okay! No more fooling around!" He stepped forward, thrusting his kunai at the boy, but the boy swiftly threw up his free hand, swatting his thrust downward. With that same hand, he skillfully twirled his opponent's kunai into his own hand, and brought it up, stabbing the nin right in the gut.

"Arhg…!" the Cloud ninja spat before falling backward on the hard rooftop. Blood spilled from his mouth and wound as he looked up at the boy. "…I-Impossible…"

The boy gave a small bow before turning back in the direction he had been heading. "I have already wasted too much time!"

And with that, Rock Lee was on the move once more.

l

"How _dare_ you?" Tsunade spat, slamming a fist in the seat of her chair, causing it to concave. "_How_ _dare_ _you_?"

The Raikage chuckled, glancing up as more Cloud and Sound ninjas dissolved through the barrier. Small battles were already taking place in the arena below. "Oh, come now, Tsunade. You didn't think I was going to let all your skilled ninja just sit there with nothing to do and figure a way out of here, did you?"

Tsunade was so furious, she could hardly speak. "Think about what you're doing! Innocent people are going to die for your own selfishness!"

Here, the Raikage's demeanor changed. "_My_ selfishness…?" he said calmly. "No… You have it all wrong. I'm doing this for my _people_. My _village_. My _home_. Peace is nothing but an illusion!" He threw his arms in the air. "You don't know how long it takes me to go to sleep at night for fear of attack, for fear that my village won't survive to morning!" He was beginning to shout.

"What are you saying…?" Tsunade questioned. The Raikage's sudden outburst had definitely rocked her thoughts. "The nations are at peace… You have nothing to fear!"

The Raikage laughed. "I would expect you, of all people, to not be fooled by smoke and mirrors, Tsunade. There is no such thing is peace! There will never be! And if the only way to achieve certain protection is to make my Jinchuriki stronger, then so be it! The fact that Naruto must die is tragic, but there is no other way…" He reached up, and loosened his Kage robes. Slowly, the white garb fell to the ground. "This is how it has to be."

Tsunade took a couple of steps back. "What do you think you're doing, Rykanse…?"

The Raikage smiled sadly. "I didn't want to do this, Tsunade, but it seems you're going to be nothing more then a nuisance in this whole operation… Know that your death will be for the good of my village…" His frown turned into a smirk. "You'll understand." With one signal, the Raikage's bodyguards bounded forward, drawing kunai from under their cloaks.

_Shink!_

"Kakashi!" Tsunade shouted.

Kakashi had dove in front of the Hokage, a kunai in each hand, pushing against the attackers. "I think…" he said, his arms shaking slightly as he tried to push the bodyguards away. "You forgot…about…_me_!" With a final, grunt, Kakashi knocked both ninjas back. They slid across the balcony, falling to their knees on either side of the Raikage.

The Raikage smiled. "Oh no, Kakashi, I could never forget about you." He said as he formed a hand sign. "You're one of the strongest ninjas in this village. You die here as well."

l

Almost five minutes of looking, and Shikamaru still had not sighted Neji. He was running down rows, checking columns, and even checking to see if he was involved in any nearby spars.

As he ran, a Sound ninja jumped in front of him. "Don't even think about running away! Not gonna happen kid!" The nin produced a kunai and proceeded to strike, but Shikamaru blocked with a knife of his own. They exchanged blows for a while until, after one attack, they were left pushing blades against each other.

"I don't have time for you!" Shikamaru spat in the ninja's face. "Get out of my way!"

It looked as if the ninja was about to say something, but stopped dead. Suddenly, the sound of multiple strikes could be heard behind him. They sounded like tiny bullets. The nin coughed up blood before falling over. In his place stood...

"Neji!" Shikamaru exclaimed happily.

Neji flashed him a small smile. "Forgive me, Shikamaru. I assumed you had the situation under control, but I'm trying to jump in where I can."

Shikamaru shook his head. "No, it's fine! In fact, I've been looking for you!"

Neji raised an eyebrow. "Really?"

Shikamara nodded. "Yes, okay. Did you see Sengi take off from the stadium with that girl?"

"Yes… Sakura, wasn't it? And didn't Naruto give chase after them?"

"Exactly. Well… Apparently I'm a chunin now, and Asuma-sensei gave me a mission. I need your help to break out of this barrier. We're going to stop Naruto from doing anything _stupid_, and rescue Sakura. Lee bypassed the barrier and is already in route."

A look of confusion crossed Neji's face. "Lee? But…"

Shikamaru grabbed Neji's arm and took off for the barrier. "Enough with the questions. We're losing time!"

Together they exited the stands, and climbed the nearest part of the wall to the barrier. Soon, they were standing in front of it.

"Well?" Shikamaru turned to Neji.

Neji had already activated his Byakugan. His eyes were swiftly moving from different points on the barrier. "I haven't been studying barriers that long, Shikamaru. It's going to take some time. I'm not even sure I'll be able to disable this one…"

Shikamaru cursed. "Well we've got to try! How long do you think it will take?"

Neji shook his head, eyes still flying across the surface of the barrier. "I haven't a clue."

Shikamaru sighed. "Well, at least Lee's out there. We'll have to have faith that he'll at least be able to slow Naruto down…"

Neji nodded. No disrespect, but he was trying to tune Shikamaru out. He needed to concentrate. His Bayakugan didn't miss a thing. He could easily see the chakra flow through the barrier, but it was complicated. It had tons of crisscrossing patterns and pathways. It was hard to tell if any of the areas were lacking. They way it was setup was…flawless.

"Whoever made this barrier is very skilled," he announced to Shikamaru. "It's perfect."

Shikamaru groaned. "Noooo… This is our only chance!" He stepped closer. He couldn't see the chakra flow within the barrier, like Neji, but he could still examine the outside. "It has to have some kind of irregularity. No barrier is _perfect_…" Then, suddenly, a thought came to him.

"That's it!"

Neji didn't take his eyes away from the barrier. "What?"

Shikamaru turned on him. "If it doesn't have any irregularities, any flaws… We'll make one."

Neji finally tore his eyes away to look at Shikamaru. Slowly his mind began to wrap around what Shikamaru was saying. "I think I'm beginning to see…"

Shikamaru drew a kunai from his holster. "Neji, keep an eye on the chakra in the barrier." Neji did as he was told. Slowly, Shikamaru stabbed the barrier with the kuani. "If it's like any normal barrier, the chakra should be redirecting its flow to fortify the spot that's being attacked, right?"

Neji watched, and as Shikamaru stabbed the barrier in different spots, he saw the chakra paths quickly reroute, and change to support what needed to be.

Neji nodded, finally understanding. "Yes. You're right."

Shikamaru smiled. "Okay, Neji, listen closely. I want you to use your Gentle Fist and rapidly attack the barrier in different locations. We need to try to create a rift in the chakra so that it becomes weak enough we can break through."

Neji smiled as he got into a stance. "Yes… That should work!" Neji got down low, taking a deep breath, then, swiftly, he rose to his height, attacking the barrier with his Gentle Fist style. Slowly, as he got into rhythm, he began to speed up his attacks, each strike flowing in the same pattern: a circle. As he attacked, Neji could see the chakra redirecting, trying to follow his strikes.

Shikamaru stood back, and smiled happily. Neji had been the right choice, he decided. It was all because of the Byakugan that they'd be getting through this barrier in no time.

"Hey, you kids!" Shikamaru whipped around. Running up the wall toward them was a Cloud ninja. "What in the hell do you think you're doing?"

_Damn! _Shikamaru thought, throwing his kunai down at the attacker. It was easily deflected, and the Cloud nin continued toward them. Shikamaru quickly got down on one knee, forming the appropriate signs.

"Shadow Possession Jutsu!"

Shikamaru's shadow extended quickly down the wall. The Cloud nin had obviously not been expecting it; he made to move, but it was already to late. Shikamaru had trapped him.

"Success…" Shikamaru mumbled as he stood up. He flicked his right hand, causing the Cloud nin to drop his kunai. _Hurry, Neji, _he thought.

Around and around Neji struck in that pattern. He watched, and gasped. It was actually working! The chakra flow was getting mixed up and jumbled as he went. The speed of his strikes were just to much for it! _A few more, _Neji guessed, _and I should have it. _

Shikamaru's eyes widened as he saw movement. A Sound ninja was coming up from the Cloud nin's left. "Stop whatever the hell your doing!"

"No, you stop!" Shikamaru replied, refocusing his hand sign. "Extend!" From the already caught Cloud nin, the shadow reached even further, curving toward the Sound ninja. Seeing this, the Sound nin jumped from the wall.

"Oh no you don't!" Shikamaru yelled, a bead of sweat running down the side of his face. The shadow actually extended from the ground, wrapped around the Sound nin's legs, and pulled him back to the wall, trapping him there. Shikamaru took a deep breath. _It's been a while since I've done two…_ He glanced behind him. _Come on, Neji…!_

_Almost! _Neji was thinking. _Almost…! _And sure enough, after a couple of more strikes, he saw it! The irregularity! Right in the middle of the circle he was striking out, there was almost no chakra. The barrier had been compensating for his pattern by taking chakra from the inside, just like he and Shikamaru had guessed! Without wasting a second, he pulled back, and hit the exact middle of the circle with both of his palms seeping his own chakra into the barrier to counteract.

"Gentle Fist!"

Neji stepped back and watched as the area inside of where he was striking melted away. At first Neji smiled, but then he became hurried. Was his Byakugan deceiving him? No… The chakra in the barrier was actually mending itself! What little of the barrier that was gone was growing back, and quickly.

"Shikamaru!" Neji yelled, rushing forward. "We must move now! The barrier is mending itself!" Neji went headfirst through the circle that was getting smaller by the second. Shikamaru released his jutsu, bent his knees and pushed, doing a backwards dive through the air. Was he going to make it? He sucked in his stomach, held his breath, and did his best to angle himself properly. He could feel the barrier tightening in on his foot; he barely scraped by.

He landed on the opposite side of the wall with a pronounced _thud! _Breathing heavily, he sat up, looking at the barrier. He smiled to himself. They had done it. Step one down!

He glanced at Neji, he was lying flat on his back.

Shikamaru got to his feet. "What kind of barrier mends itself?" he thought aloud. He reached a hand to Neji who, gratefully, allowed himself to be pulled to his feet.

"A good one," he answered, flexing his hands.

Shikamaru nodded, turning in the direction of the Konoha gates. "We don't know what direction they went, nor where they're going in the first place…"

"Leave that to me," Neji said. "Byakugan!"

Shikamaru watched as Neji began to scan around before abruptly stopping. "There!" he said pointing toward the gates. "I can see Sengi on top of the Village Gates. He still has Sakura."

"And Naruto?"

Neji nodded. "He's not far behind them… But Lee's a good distance back." He glanced at Shikamaru. "However his distance to Naruto is leaps and bounds better then ours right now."

Shikamaru had already taken off down the wall, Neji soon following him.

"I know. That's why we have to move! And _fast_!"

l

When Sengi landed on top of the Village Gates, he glanced behind him. Naruto was still about the same distance behind him. He smiled to himself.

_**Perfect, **_he thought. _**Everything is exactly as it should be!**_

He resituated the girl again, and waited a couple more seconds before shooting off into the forest.

Half a minute later, Naruto landed in the exact spot Sengi had just been standing. "Sengi!" he shouted. He was getting angrier by the second, and was already moving through the branches. He didn't have to see Sengi. He could _feel_ his Bijuu's chakra. Just what was Sengi trying to prove?

It didn't matter. What did matter was that Sakura was in danger, and he was going to do anything and everything to get her back.

"Even if I have to kill you… Sengi!"

**End of Chapter.**

**A/N: Whoo. Sorry this one took AGES to get out. But I haven't had as much time on my hands as I would like, so bear with me, please. I'm doing my best. By the way, if you can't tell, this is NOT the same Raikage from the Manga/Anime.**

**Next Time:**

**Naruto's Fury,**

**Shikamaru's Plan,**

**Lee's Battle!**


	29. Fury, Plan, Battle!

**Chapter 29**

**Naruto's Fury,**

**Shikamaru's Plan,**

**Lee's Battle!**

It felt like Naruto had been jumping through the forest for hours. Because of the dense branches, he hadn't spotted Sengi in a while, but he knew he was going in the right direction. He couldn't believe he was even doing this in the first place. What was Sengi thinking? Didn't he know that once the rest of the Konoha rebounded from the confusion, he'd be putting himself and even the Raikage in deep trouble? It wouldn't even be that bad if he had just gone without taking Sakura.

Naruto stopped on the next limb he landed on. _Sakura… _What was Sengi going to do to her? Why _her_ and no one else? What was his plan anyway? There were a lot of things that Naruto was unsure about, but one thing he did know is that it didn't matter what he had to do; he was getting Sakura back!

He narrowed his eyes as he felt for Sengi's demonic chakra, and within seconds it seemed to rush over him like water. He knew the feeling all to well.

l

"So what, exactly, is your plan here, Shikamaru?"

Shikamaru and Neji were jumping across the many rooftops of Konoha. They had already observed the panic that had appeared in the streets. They were about halfway to the Village Gates, making pretty good time.

Shikamaru had been hoping Neji wouldn't ask that question. "I'm not really sure," he admitted. "I've been running a few scenarios through my head…"

Neji was nodding. "I suggest we catch up with Lee first. It's the only way we'll be able to form an appropriate strategy."

"Yeah," Shikamaru agreed. "But Lee's so fast. I feel like he'll catch up to Naruto before we catch up to him."

"If that's the case, then no harm, no foul."

Shikamaru shook his head. It wasn't good enough. He wasn't the kind of guy to just do something without a strategy. He would like to take things slowly, and consider all the different options before they head out… But Naruto never gave him that option.

That's when a thought suddenly came to him. He looked at Neji. "Naruto isn't the kind of person to take things slowly," he said. "That's variable number one. In a situation like this, we have to assume he's going to do whatever it takes to save Sakura, even if it means dying." He held up a finger, and a second later, put up a second finger. "Variable number two is Lee. As honest and true as he is, we also have to assume that if he catches up to Naruto he won't be able to convince him to stop giving chase, or at least wait."

He took a breath before holding up a third finger. "Variable number three is Sengi. He's crazy strong and unpredictable. He's taken Sakura for a reason, and it could be anything." Shikamaru thought back to the match he had seen yesterday. "I assume you saw his match with Sasuke…" Neji nodded. "Judging from that, he also seems to have some weird green chakra… No telling what that is…"

He paused for second as they jumped a rather large gap in buildings. "We need to catch up to Lee and feel him in on what's been happening. Then we need to stop Naruto before he and Sengi start battling; I'm sure that with the four of us, we'll be able to take him down and save Sakura with minimal injury." He sighed. "However, there's no way we'll catch up with him before _he_ catches up with Sengi… So we'll have to put our faith in Lee that he'll be able to catch up and at least slow him down."

Neji nodded as the two of them approached the Konoha Gates.

l

A sudden ring of electricity formed around the Raikage. It began to rapidly spark while the Raikage stood there smiling. His bodyguards rushed forward from either side of him. Kakashi intercepted one, slashing with his kunai as the guard blocked. Tsunade took the other one; punching rapidly at him. The guard managed to dodge a few hits when Tsunade quickly spun around, delivering a swift kick as she went, ramming the guard right in his side. At that same time, Kakashi knocked his opponent's kunai away, and jabbed both of his in his neck.

As one guard was sent flying into the side of the barrier, the other fell to the ground, blood seeping from a wound on the neck. The Raikage's smile had vanished.

"Always have to do it myself…" he mumbled. Suddenly, the ring vanished, and the Raikage got into a stance. Kakashi rushed forward, fist drawn back. He was advancing on the Raikage at a surprising rate, but the Raikage made no attempt to move. Finally within range, Kakashi shot his fist forward, hitting the Raikage square in the chest. Almost immediately, the spot where Kakashi had hit sparked, and a rush of electricity shot through Kakashi's body, knocking him back into Tsunade's arms.

"Kakashi!"

Kakashi shakily got back to his feet. He still felt lightheaded from what had just happened, his fist numbing slightly. "How did you do that?"

The Raikage chuckled. "I am not some second rate ninja, Kakashi. I'm a Kage. The rings you saw just a bit ago? It's a jutsu of mine. Because of that, right now, I'm streaming electricity throughout my body. It's like an internal barrier. You can't touch me without getting shocked."

"Impossible." Tsunade spoke up, taking a place beside Kakashi. "I know of people routing electricity through their bodies for an _instant_, as a last resort, but to do it constantly? It would take an unprecedented amount of precise chakra control to do something like that."

The Raikage smiled as he walked slowly toward them, a trail of sparks retracting from each step.

"Try me."

l

Rock Lee was moving at a breakneck speed. Limb to limb, branch to branch, tree to tree, he was moving! It had seemed that Naruto was moving in a straight line, so he was sticking to that, praying he would catch up to him eventually. He tried to increase his speed as much as he could. The trees were passing by so quickly, they were nothing but blurs.

Suddenly, he saw a bright light, and as he moved, he found himself jumping into a large clearing. He had to squint from the brighter sun, but when he looked toward the forest floor, what he saw shocked him.

"Naruto!"

It was true! There was an orange and black figure at the other end of the clearing, running across the forest floor. Naruto had just crossed the clearing, and was about to re-enter the forest, when he turned around at the sound of his name.

"Naruto!" Lee cried again as dropped from the air. With a swift glance behind him, Naruto quickly back peddled, meeting Lee in the middle of the clearing. "Man! I am so glad I finally caught up to you!"

"Bushy Brow?" Naruto questioned, taking another glance behind him. He seemed impatient, ready to move. "What are you doing here?"

Lee became serious. "Yes. I was told by Gai-sensei to come and take you back to Konoha."

Naruto frowned, taking a step back. "Why?"

"Listen, Naruto. Things are bad. There is a barrier over the stadium, everyone is trapped, and the Lady Hokage has also been isolated."

Naruto was stunned. Just what in the hell was going on? He glanced behind him once more. He could feel Sengi getting further and further away. "Look, Bushy Brow, I know things may be bad back there, but I can't go back. Sakura's in danger. I can't just leave her behind!"

Lee shrunk back a little. "I understand that, Naruto. But you do not need to go alone. I think we should at least return and regroup."

Naruto shook his head. "No!" he yelled. "You don't understand! That's my teammate, my comrade! She was taken away right in front of me!" He stood there, breathing in and out. "When I arrived late for the Third Exam… I told Sakura I would _never_ abandon her…" He looked back at Lee, his eyes filled with sorrow and anger. "_Never_!"

Lee lowered his eyes. He didn't know what to say. He wanted to fulfill Gai-senei's request, but he couldn't deny what Naruto said was true. He couldn't just take Naruto away and leave Sakura. Finally, he said, "Then will you at least allow me to accompany you? I know I will be able to help!"

Naruto considered it for a moment. It would be easier to overpower Sengi if he had a little help. Not to mention that Lee was pretty strong. "Alright," he finally said. "But we're starting to lose Sengi. We need to-!"

Suddenly, a rock column shot out of the ground behind Naruto, heading straight for them. Naruto and Lee jumped to either side, avoiding it completely. They both got into a stance as a figure emerged from the other end of the clearing.

"Sado…" Naruto growled, narrowing his eyes.

Sado stopped just inside the clearing, crossing his arms. "What do you think your doing, Naruto?"

Naruto cursed. "About to take you out!"

Sado laughed. "Oh, no. That's not what I meant. What are you doing _here_? Why aren't you chasing after Sengi? He has your friend, right?"

A cool wind whipped through the clearing as Naruto made a realization. "You're all in this together," he said quietly, staring at the forest floor. "All of you Cloud ninjas…" Sado's expression didn't change. Naruto looked up at him. "Fine! Have it your way. Bushy Brow, let's move!"

Naruto ran forward, and as Lee began to follow, he noticed Sado stomp his foot on the ground. Lee had seen his fights with Shikamaru and Naruto, so he acted quickly, stopping short, and holding his hand out.

Sure enough, a column of rock shot forward, and as soon as it touched Lee's hand, he rolled to the side as it shot into the air. He rolled as he touched the ground, getting back up in a stance.

Naruto looked back. "Bushy Brow!"

Lee shook his head. "Naruto, it is obvious he is trying to keep me here. It seems you are meant to go ahead alone."

Naruto stopped short. "No. We'll take him out fast! Together!"

"No, Naruto," Lee called. "The longer we stay here, the further away Sengi gets... You go on ahead and save Sakura." When Naruto looked back, Lee flashed him a bright smile. "Do not worry. I will finish this battle in no time and join you."

"Bushy Brow…" Naruto finally nodded, and with a solid leap, jumped from the clearing to the forest, following Sengi once more.

Lee turned to Sado. "I knew you would not stop him. You _are_ trying to keep me here."

Sado smiled, getting into a stance of his own. "It is his destiny to fight Sengi today. _Alone_."

Lee narrowed his gaze. "Just what is it you are trying to do? Why is Sengi and Naruto battling so _important_? And why do they have to be _alone_? And why did Sengi take _Sakura_ of all people?"

Sado formed a hand sign. "You ask too many questions!"

Two more rock columns shot out of the ground toward Lee. He ducked under them, avoiding them easily, and shot around the side, straight toward Sado. Sado made to attack again, but Lee was too quick. He had already jumped the last bit of distance, and was coming down on Sado with a swift kick. Sado crossed his arms above him, blocking the attack. They stayed like that for a while.

"You won't…be able to defeat me…" Sado mumbled, pushing against Lee's leg. "I won our match during the preliminaries, and I wasn't even trying!" Finally, he gathered the strength, separating his arms, knocking Lee away.

He slid as he landed. "It is different today. Right now, I have something to fight for!"

He drew a kunai and rushed forward again. Sado laughed as he stomped his foot on the ground. A wall of stone rose to Sado's height. He stepped back, and began to hit the wall with an open palm. As he hit, bit of the stone flew from the front surface, flying straight for Lee. Lee gasped and stopped short, bending his body and twisting, doing his best to avoid the harmful projectiles.

During one twist, he swung with his kunai, hitting a piece of rock with his blade. This caused it to shoot off to the side out of harms way. Lee smiled, standing his ground, and facing forward as he finished his twist. He now had a new strategy: deflection! Again and again he hit the projectiles as they drew near him, and again and again, they shot off to the sides instead. It continues like this until Sado's wall was nothing more then a lump.

They both stood there panting when, suddenly, Lee threw his kunai. Sado, surprised by the sudden attack jumped into the air to avoid it, but when he glanced back at his opponent, he found he was no longer there.

_Damn! _He thought, looking up. Sure enough, there Lee was, leg in the air, poised for attack! He brought his leg down hard catching Sado right in the face. The Cloud ninja barreled for the ground, hitting it face first with a pronouncing _THUD!_

Lee landed a second later, getting back into his usual stance and breathing heavily. He watched as Sado slowly pulled himself off the ground. He glanced up at Lee, the left side of his face smeared with blood. He was so angry, he couldn't think of anything to say.

Lee smiled victoriously. "I told you. It is different today."

Sado cursed as he got to his knees, slamming a hand on the ground. Another rock column shot out of the earth in front of him, extending all the way toward Lee. Lee waited a beat, and then flipped as it passed under him. Landing on top of the column, he quickly shot down it, running the length all the way to Sado. A couple of feet before reaching him, he jumped the distance again, holding a leg out with his momentum.

"Dynamic Entry!"

Something suddenly hit him square in the gut. He was ceased completely, held there for a moment before shooting backwards. He rolled as he hit the ground, quickly swinging back to his feet. He held his gut in pain, trying to get a glimpse of what hit him. What he saw surprised him. It was a girl. A girl with a long, purple ponytail was now standing on the column in front of Sado.

_She appeared out of nowhere and kicked me, _Lee mused. Then a thought hit him. _Is it possible…? Has she been here the whole time?_

Sado had finally gotten to his feet. "It's about time…Rin…"

The girl, Rin, spun around on him. "Oh, I'm sorry. Don't mind me, Mr. Don't-Worry-It's-Just-One-Guy-I-Can-Handle-It!" She turned back around. "My ass…"

Sado tried to recovery. "He just surprised me is all!"

Rin wasn't buying it. "Ha! Don't even think about feeding me that bull!"

They continued bickering for a bit, but Lee tuned them out. He looked from one to the other. _This is bad… _he thought. _One guy I can handle… But two? _He thought back to the two ninja he encountered back on the rooftop. _No… It is different. These two are on a whole other level then the ones before…_

"Enough!" Sado finally yelled. "Let's just kill him and be done with it!" He wiped some of the blood off the side of his face.

Rin scoffed. "_Fine_! Have it your way…"

She rushed forward across the column. Lee frowned getting into a stance. But he didn't have long. A column shot out of the ground behind him. He quickly back-flipped over it, but no sooner had he landed, Rin was upon him, throwing a punch. He caught her fist, but she was already launching a kick to his side. He used his other hand to catch that attack, but her free hand was coming straight for his face now.

He threw her caught fist away, and, with an open palm, smacked her approaching attack to the side. He then spun to the inside, throwing an elbow out. But she leaned back, wrenching her leg away. She jumped back a bit, and as Lee was about to go on the offensive, he saw Sado jumping over her, both his arms encased in stone. Lee gasped, jumping back as Sado slammed his arms into the ground, sending a cloud of smoke everywhere.

Lee stood just outside of it, but a glint of metal caught his eye. His eyes widened as a kunai shot toward him. He did his best to avoid it, but it still scraped his right side, cutting his garb. He winced in pain, but he had no time! Rin had just shot of the smoke toward him, throwing another kunai.

Lee pulled out one of his own, blocking it just in time. As Rin got into reach, Lee spun, slicing at her with his weapon, but she managed to block it with one of her own. Lee frowned, thrusting at her this time. He missed, and she smacked his hand with something hard, causing him to drop his knife. After a moment, it was her turn to spin, and as she did she smacked him across the face with some kind of sturdy, rough weapon.

He was knocked off balance, and as he stumbled, a rock column shot out of the ground towards him. There was nothing he could do, so the rock slammed into his gut, sending him into the air. He coughed up blood as he went, and his vision was blurred for a moment. But as he re-focused, he came face to face with Sado, rock encased arm drawn back.

He punched hard, slamming his fist across Lee's face. He shot toward the ground so fast it was unbelievable. When he landed it made a small crater. He laid there for a bit. His body ached all over. There were even bits of tiny pieces of rocks embedded into the side of his face.

"I think we overdid it a bit!" a girly, giggly voice said.

"Naw…" a rough, hard voice replied. "I think it's perfect. He almost fucked up my face."

"I can't believe he's already done… I was hoping we'd have a bit more fun!"

"What did you expect? It's two against one. Besides, no one can beat me and you when we fight like that, especially when we have Sengi. That completes the circle."

Grunting in pain, Lee finally and slowly pulled himself back to his feet. His legs shook a bit, but he was steady for now.

"Hey!" Rin said, pointing. "He's getting up! I knew it!"

"I see…" Lee said, doing his best not to sound weak. "You," he said, gesturing to Rin, "keep me off balance with your speed and close combat, while you," he gestured to Sado, "attack at the perfect openings, from a distance at first, but then surprising me as you come face to face." He did his best to smile. "That _is_ almost a perfect strategy… But you forgot one thing."

Sado frowned. "And what would that be?"

Slowly, the bandages on Lee's arms began to unravel. "I already told you." He crossed his arms in front of his face. "_Today_ is _different_!"

He rushed forward so fast it surprised both of them. He suddenly appeared below Sado, kicking upward, right into his chin.

"Argh!" Sado yelled as he shot into the air.

"You!" Rin said. She thrust at Lee with an object in each hand. Something Lee recognized as closed folding fans. _So that is what she hit me with earlier, _he realized quickly. He leaned back on his hands, spinning them across the ground, causing his body to twist in Rin's direction. He kicked one hand away, and then the other, knocking her off balance. He then pushed off the ground, kicking her in the chest with both legs.

Her eyes widened with a mix of pain and surprise. He bent his knees, and pushed off her into the air toward Sado. She went flying backwards onto the hard earth as Lee swung his arms, wrapping his excess bandages around Sado's legs. He shot past Sado, dragging him through the air. He landed on the trunk of the nearest tree, but Sado's momentum carried himself right past it. Lee got ready, and as the bandages reach the point of no slack, he pulled hard, shooting Sado back toward the clearing. As he passed the tree, Lee unwrapped his bandages and watched as Sado plummeted with full force straight _into_ the ground, head first. The rock around his arms broke away instantly. Lee dropped back to the ground, breathing heavily. He was exhausted.

Rin suddenly landed beside Sado. They only part of that was out of the ground were his legs. "Sado!" She yelled. "Sado! Can you hear me?"

Suddenly, a giant rock column shot out of the ground at the spot Sado's legs where. It went about fifteen feet into the air before stopping. On top of its flat surface lay Sado, gasping for air. Rin breathed, relieved. Then she set her sights on Lee.

"It's over for you, 'Bushy Brow!'"

She ran toward him, opening her folding fans as she did. Lee got into a stance, and as she reached him, she made a horizontal slice with the fan. Lee leaned back to avoid it, but he misjudged the fan's size, and the very edge of it caught him on the chin. He was surprised to find that it hurt. He stepped back as she sliced again, reaching for a kuani. Rin stepped forward, continuing with her slices. Lee held out his kunai against the fan, and was once again surprised to find that it didn't rip right through it.

She jumped back, and he felt his chin. When he brought his hand in front of him, he couldn't believe it. He was actually bleeding! He looked back at Rin.

_The edges of those fans are as sharp as blades, _he thought. _How can that be?_

He didn't have time to ponder it, because the very ground he was standing on suddenly caved in. Earth went everywhere as dirt and sand was turned over. Lee stumbled forward before finally jumping from the what would be ditch. He came face to fist with Sado, who had been waiting for him. Sado punched him in the side of the face as soon as he escaped from the cave in, knocking him away.

Rock Lee slid across the ground on his back. That was it. That last hit had done it. He was through. He stared up at the blue sky as he stopped. Slowly, a large, stone stalactite was hovering right above him, the point inches away from his bruised face.

"Well…" he heard Sado saying. "It's been fun… But you've pissed me off!"

The stalactite shot high into the air, hovered for just a moment, and was beginning to shoot down when it suddenly and completely stopped.

…Stopped?

Lee slowly raised his head to look at Sado. He was completely frozen in place, arms raised and all. He was looking above and past Lee. "Impossible…!"

Then a new voice spoke from behind Lee. One that he knew, and couldn't believe he was hearing.

"Oh, believe it. Because this is very real."

Lee turned his head, and he couldn't believe what he saw. Standing behind them on the opposite side of the clearing, halfway up a tree on a branch, was Shikamaru Nara. And standing beside him was Neji Hyuga.

Shikamaru smiled down at Lee, arms raised just like Sado. "It seems we made it just in time…Lee."

It was then that Lee saw the shadow. It extended down the tree, and halfway across the clearing to Sado. Rin jumped from behind Sado and past Lee.

"The shadow user!" she hissed, tossing a kunai up at him.

Shikamaru smiled as the kunai approached. Neji deflected it inches away from Shikamaru with a kunai of his own. Twirling it around his finger, he slid it back in his holster.

"Now…" Shikamaru spoke up, turning slightly. "Let's just…get rid of _this_." He tossed his arms forward and Sado did the same. In a couple of seconds the stalactite crashed into the ground a good distance away. Shikamaru crossed his arms. "Alright," he stated as he and Neji dropped from the limb. "It's time we took control of this situation."

As soon as they touched ground, Neji shot forward. Rin made to intercept him. Her fans were closed again as Neji activated his Byakugan. With his middle and index fingers, Neji attacked with his Gentle Fist as got in range of her, but she blocked each attack with her fans. Neji quickly spun around her as he attacked. Finally, he twisted, kicking her in the back. She stumbled backward, but before Neji could follow up, she jumped back beside Sado.

Neji ran the rest of the distance to Lee, and helped him to his feet. "Hold on," he mumbled.

"Oh no you don't!" Rin shouted starting forward again. She had just started when Sado suddenly reached forward, wrapping his arms around her. Surprised, she kicked and squirmed, trying her best to break is hold. "Just what do you think you're doing, fool?"

Sado looked displeased. "It's not me, idiot! It's the shadow kid!"

They were still arguing as Neji returned to Shikamaru, half leading, half dragging Lee. "Good work," Shikamaru said. "Now, we just have to get these fools out of the way."

Lee stood there, put out. "I apologize. I should have been able to defeat them, but they were to strong."

Neji put a hand on his teammate's shoulder. "It's alright Lee. I was watching the battle through my Byakugan. You did the best you could."

Shikamaru closed his eyes and began to think quickly.

_Okay, we've caught up to Lee. Now we just have to defeat these two, and then we can get to Naruto. Actually, I would like one of us to keep after Naruto now, but Lee's condition… We can't send him forward alone; in his condition, he wouldn't be able to handle any more traps or ninjas. He's pretty beat up, so he's not gonna be much use in this battle either. _Shikamaru cursed. _Damn, there's no other option! Naruto will just have to wait. _

He opened his eyes. "Neji, take the girl. Since I've already got Sado trapped, this should be a breeze. Lee, I'll keep him still, you just deliver the damage. Don't worry, Neji will cover you."

Lee and Neji nodded. "Right!" Lee agreed. "Neji," he said. "Watch out. The fans Rin attacks with… They're as sharp as kunai."

Neji raised an eyebrow. "Really? That's interesting."

Lee nodded again. "No jutsu to report of. I've only seen her use Taijutsu, which she's not a slouch in, by the way,"

"I understand. Let's move! We have to catch up to Naruto!"

l

Naruto could _feel_ it. Sengi had _finally_ stopped. He would have probably caught up by now, but Bushy Brow had lost him a lot of time… _Bushy Brow… _Naruto thought, glancing back. He hoped he was okay. _Something else I can blame Sengi for. _He continued jumping through the branches.

_Hang on, Sakura, _he thought desperately. _Please… Just hang on a bit longer!_

**End of Chapter.**

**Next Time:**

**Neji's Match,**

**Sakura Awakens,**

**Shikamaru's Enemy!**


	30. Match, Awaken, Enemy!

**Chapter 30**

**Neji's Match,**

**Sakura Awakens,**

**Shikamaru's Enemy!**

"Move!" Shikamaru shouted.

Neji and Lee rushed forward, side by side at first, but then they both broke off, Neji heading for Rin and Lee for Sado. Neji reached Rin first, attacking with his Gentle Fist. She was ready though, and using her closed folding fans, blocked Neji's assault, stepping back as she did.

Neji twisted, ducked low, and did his best to outmaneuver her like he did before, but she was too quick. She twisted as he did, ducked as he did, and blocked every one of his attacks as if she wasn't even trying. His goal was the same as always: chakra points, but he just couldn't get past her movements and her fans. Neji was astounded.

Lee did a spinning jump when got in range of the defenseless Sado. "Leaf Hurricane!" His kick was swift and powerful as it neared Sado's face, but suddenly the clearing dimmed slightly, and he blocked it! Lee lurched forward as Sado caught his leg inches from his face. He twisted with Lee, throwing him in the opposite direction. Lee managed to catch himself though, landing on his feet as he glanced at Shikamaru.

Shikamaru cursed as he looked up at the sky. A rather large cloud had drifted in front of the sun. He looked back at Sado. _Damn… _he thought. _The clouds would betray me at a time like this! _He stood up, drawing a kunai from his holster. Lee seemed to understand, a grabbed a kunai of his own. Shikamaru began to run towards him, and Lee thrust, but he had already jumped into the air.

He began to rapidly form hand signs, and when he finished, two pieces of the ground shot at him, and he caught a piece in each hand. They were long, slim, and pointed at one end, like spears. When he landed, he intercepted both Shikamaru and Lee's attacks, blocking their kunai with his spears. They were interlocked for a moment.

"What's the matter, shadow user?" he asked Shikamaru. "Weather got you down?" Shikamaru didn't reply. He signaled to Lee, and they both jumped away.

Neji's strikes were intense, but Rin was still blocking them. Eventually, even, she dared to attack in turn. Neji was surprised. She thrust at him with the end of her fan, and he brought his middle and index fingers up to block it. Then he countered as she blocked, while she tried again with her other fan for the same result. Now they were deadlocked. Both of them attacking and blocking at an alarming speed.

"What's wrong, Hyuga?" she asked quickly between blocks. "Not used to fighting someone who fights like you? Quite a match, isn't it?"

Neji scoffed. "Our movements may be similar, but we do _not_ fight the same!"

Sado threw his spears at Shikamaru who ducked just as they whistled over his head, embedding in a tree. He charged forward drawing his fist back. At the same time, a rock column shot out from behind Shikamaru, and he had to jump to avoid it. Sado jumped with him, so now they were both in midair.

As Sado prepared to attack, Lee appeared above him, wrapping his arms around him, and dragging him back down to the ground. Shikamaru glanced up at the sky, but the cloud was still blocking the sun.

Lee and Sado hit the ground together, and quickly rolled away from each other, both getting to their feet at the same time. Lee was breathing really heavily. Sado smirked.

"It appears you're at your limit," he said.

Neji barely blocked that one. He frowned as they continued their exchange of blocks and strikes. _She's getting closer… _he thought grimly. _I don't understand!_

At that moment, Rin ducked low to the ground, thrusting both her fans at each leg. Neji hopped a foot into the air to avoid them, but gasped in surprise, as she spun to her feet. He made to block the very obvious attack, kicking himself for putting himself in that position, but she was too quick. In a flash she slammed the ends of both her fans into his gut. His eyes widened in pain, and flew back a couple of feet.

He staggered as he rose to a standing position, both hands holding on to his stomach. He eyed her cautiously. _What _was_ that? It feels like something I would've done… _Trying to fight off the pain, he charged, determined to win.

Sado threw both his hands down, and a large, cylindrical piece of solid stone began to rise below each open palm. As he moved his hands in front of him, the stone came with them, until they hovered just in front of his hands, both aimed at Lee.

"Lee!" Shikamaru yelled, glancing up at they sky again. Cursing, he ran forward just as Lee was about to jump backward.

"I don't think so!" Sado shouted. He stomped his foot just as Lee sprang back, and a huge wall of solid rock shot up from the ground about twenty feet in the air. Lee's back hit it as he jumped back. It had blocked him, and Lee could no longer see Shikamaru. Sado smiled as he re-focused his stone. "Game over…" He closed his fists tight, and the stone shot forward.

_Swoosh! _

Lee couldn't believe what he was seeing. A giant wall of shifting sand had appeared in front of him! It had taken the full impact of the pieces of stone, saving Lee. And as he looked at it, Lee realized there was only one person who this sand could belong to.

"What?" Sado shouted, looking around. "How can this be?"

"Up here."

Sado froze and looked up at the top of the very wall he had just created. Lee looked too, and found he was right. There, standing atop the stone wall, sand still flowing out his gourd, was Gaara of the Sand.

Neji quickly jumped and spun, bringing his leg down at the end of his spin, smacking Rin across the side of the face. The action had surprised her, and sent her stumbling backward. Neji landed, and rushed forward following up by attacking her on each shoulder. She yelled in pain as she jumped away. Neji smiled to himself as glanced over at the others. He did a double take. It couldn't be… Gaara?

Gaara looked down at Sado with an expressionless face, his arms crossed. His sand floated back up around him, dropping the pieces of stone as it did so. Shikamaru appeared from around the wall.

"Gaara? What are you doing here?"

Gaara glanced at him for a moment. "Through a new technique my sensei and I created, I have recently been introduced to sleeping on a daily basis… I overslept this morning and didn't make it to the stadium in time, but it looks like that was a good thing. I felt Naruto and Sengi's chakra signatures heading in this direction, so I decided to come this way…" He looked ahead, into the forest past the clearing. "It seems they continue to head that way, but I thought my assistance would be useful here." He looked back at Sado, his expression hardening. Sado took a few steps back.

Lee relaxed against the rock wall, sliding down into a sitting position. "It is good you have arrived," he said, looking up to Gaara. "Now Shikamaru can continue onward to stop Naruto and save Sakura."

Shikamaru looked at him. "Me?" he questioned. He shook his head, looking to Gaara instead. "Gaara, you're a lot stronger then I am. I think _you_ should keep moving. Sengi has taken Sakura, and Naruto went after them." He thought for a moment. "And all this resistance… I fear it may be some kind of trap."

"I think Lee is right, Shikamaru," Neji said, finally returning to the group at the base of the wall. Rin, having retreated was now kneeling beside Sado, a hand on one of her shoulders. "Like you said, Gaara is strong; he would be more useful in this battle. Besides, that cloud makes all your jutsu useless right now."

"I have seen you in battle," Gaara said, looking down at Shikamaru. "They are right. You would only get in the way here. I'm leaving Naruto in your hands."

Shikamaru looked from Gaara, to Neji, to Lee. He sighed, defeated. "Alright…" he finally said, running toward the other end of the clearing. He glanced back at them. "But if any of you die, I won't forgive you!" As he faced forward again, he found Rin right in front of him.

"Where do you think you're going?" she shouted as she sliced at him with her now open folding fans. Shikamaru stopped short and back flipped away, narrowly avoiding the fans. In an instant Neji was jumping over him, throwing a palm out at Rin as he landed. She twirled out of the way, and kicked at him, but he caught it with one hand and thrust with the other. She closed one of her fans, and shot it behind her, smacking it against Neji's approaching attack. Wrenching her leg out of his grasp, she followed through with a spin, slicing at him with her open fans as she did. Neji backed away, but she continued: spinning in one direction, twirling in the other, all the while holding her fans out. Neji could hear them as they sliced through the air.

Shikamaru rushed forward again, but this time, Sado was in his way. "I can't let you leave!" he said, punching at Shikamaru with an arm incased in rock. Shikamaru was to close; there was nothing he could do. He braced himself for the impact, but just as Sado was about to hit him, a small shield of sand drifted in front of his face, blocking the attack completely. Lee suddenly appeared behind Sado along with more of the shifting sand, all flowing from Gaara's gourd.

Shikamaru glanced behind him at Gaara, who hadn't moved from his position atop the stone wall. "Go," he told Shikamaru, his arms held out, controlling the sand. "You cannot afford to waste time."

"Yes, Shikamaru," Lee said from behind Sado. "We have already been held up far too long here."

Shikamaru nodded. "Right." He shot around Sado, directly for the opposite side of the clearing. "Neji!" he shouted.

Neji ducked under an attack by a closed fan, and spun around Rin as attacked with two quick strikes aimed for her lower back. As he spun, he glanced toward the opposite side of the clearing with his Byakugan. Rin blocked his attacks, and got low, sweeping her leg across the ground in an attempt to trip him, but Neji jumped away just in time.

"Keep going directly North!" he yelled to Shikamaru, ducking under more of Rin's attacks. "Both Naruto and Sengi are heading in that direction!"

Shikamaru nodded as he reached the clearing's edge. He didn't even hesitate. With a single leap he jumped into the tree branches heading due North. He prayed he wasn't getting there to late.

l

Sengi stopped as he landed in the large clearing in the forest. He glanced around. The landscape was nice and flat, and there were only a few stray trees in the middle of it. The trees bothered him. He would've much rather used the clearing a bit back, but the Raikage concluded they needed to go deeper into the forest. Where he was would have to work.

He dropped the girl to the ground as he took a few steps farther into the clearing. He would have to hope the checkpoints they put up would be enough to stop any resistance that escaped the barrier, if they could escape it at _all_. Now all he had to do was wait for Naruto to arrive, and then he could do what he had set out to do since they first entered Konoha.

He laughed out loud at the thought. He would be the most powerful being in the world! There was nothing that could stop him now…! He froze as he heard a voice pipe up behind him.

"Where…am I…?"

He turned around slowly, eyes widened in shock as he looked behind him. The girl was slowly rising into a sitting position. She had one hand on her head and the other on her neck. She seemed startled when she noticed him.

"Sengi…?" she said distantly. "What are you doing here…?" She glanced around at her surroundings. "Where _is_ here?"

Sengi was about to reply, but he had to think. He couldn't remember her name! S-something something… He thought hard about it, but it just wouldn't come to him. Finally, he said, **"We're in the middle of Konoha Forest."**

The girl's eyes widened in shock as he said this. She looked around again before turning her green stare on him. "Why?"

Sengi frowned. She didn't remember a thing. **"Because I brought you here."**

The girl gasped. "What? But…weren't we just at the stadium? I don't understand!"

"**Silence!" **Sengi growled, taking a step toward her. She seemed to shrink closer to the ground. **"I'm waiting for Naruto."**

"Naruto…" the girl repeated.

Sengi smiled. This was getting a bit fun. **"Yes… Do you know why?"**

The girl shook her head.

Sengi took another step toward her. **"Really?" **he said, putting as much surprise into his voice as possible. **"Well, I'll tell you." **He flashed her the biggest smile he could muster before saying, **"I'm going to kill him."**

Shock drifted across the girl's face. Sengi could barely hold in his laughter. But that all changed as he watched her slowly rise to her feet. He couldn't believe it when she got into a fighting stance.

"I see…" She said slowly. "You brought me here in an attempt to lure Naruto." She shook her head. "I don't know what you're planning or why you want to kill him, but I'm not gonna' let you get the chance!"

She suddenly rushed forward, fist drawn back. Sengi was so surprised by her action, he almost didn't register to move. As she jumped forward, he jumped backward, and her fist collided with the ground. It cracked and broke and shattered under her punch, much to Sengi's surprise.

_**What strength… **_he thought as he looked at her. **"**_**You **_**want to fight **_**me**_**? Even after what I did to Sasuke…?"**

The girl's face contorted into a bit of rage for a moment as she remembered Sasuke. "You're right. I still need to pay you back for that… But Sasuke is one thing," she replied. "And I'm another."

Sengi half smiled as he flexed his hands, electricity sparking between his fingers. **"You've got spunk. I'll give you that… But know that when we begin to fight the outcome is a given." **He paused, taking a step towards her again. **"You will die."**

The girl thought about it for a long moment before shaking her head. "Naruto's always doing so much for me…" she said quietly. She suddenly looked up at Sengi, her eyes free from doubt. "It doesn't matter if I die or not… It's about time I started doing something for _him_ instead!"

Sengi's smile grew even wider. **"Very well," **he said slowly. **"You have just sealed your fate!"**

The girl- Sakura! He finally remembered! -rushed forward again.

l

Shikamaru was staying North as he jumped through the trees. He was moving as fast as his legs would allow, the trees whizzing past him in green and brown blurs. He could almost feel the atmosphere of the air changing as he went. Something about it was getting heavier…darker.

He tried to shake off the feeling as he approached another small clearing. As he jumped into it, something caught his eye, and he quickly stopped short, landing on the ground. Standing in front of him at the opposite side of the clearing, stood a tall, lean man with very pale skin. In fact, it almost looked white. He had long, black hair, and his eyes looked like those of a snake's, and he was staring at Shikamaru with them. It almost petrified him.

Slowly, to Shikamaru, the air became even thicker as he stared at this man. He could feel some kind of emotion spreading through his system, one that he didn't feel that often, and the fact that he was feeling it now surprised him. He could feel his whole body begin to shake slightly. It was fear.

"Ahhhh…" the man slowly hissed. "So you're the only ninja to have gotten this far after breaking out of my barrier." Shikamaru didn't reply, so the man continued. "You should know that Naruto passed through this clearing _some_ time ago… He was moving so fast I don't think he even _noticed_ me."

Shikamaru gulped. _I can feel it… _he thought shakily. _I can tell just by looking at this guy… The difference in our battle experience… The sheer power emitting from him, even in such a relaxed posture… I don't have a chance! _He finally thought grimly. _I don't have a chance in hell! _

"What's wrong, boy? Not getting a little scared, are you?"

The man's voice was much closer now. Slowly, Shikamaru turned his head to the right to look at the tree that he was standing by. The man's face was protruding from the trunk, as if his neck was attached to it, tongue hanging out.

"Ahhhh!" Shikamaru yelled tumbling backward, away from the tree with the man's face. But as he watched, the face slowly dissolved into a yellow snake. It dropped to the ground, and slithered off into the forest. Shikamaru slowly looked back at the man, who hadn't moved an inch.

"I can smell your fear…" he told Shikamaru, chuckling slightly. It was clear he was enjoying this. "Fear plays with your mind…makes you…_vulnerable_."

"W-Who are you?" Shikamaru mumbled. He was trying to calm himself down. The fact he could speak now was a good sign.

The man smiled. "You may call me Orochimaru."

Shikamaru continued staring. _That sounds so familiar… _he thought. _Eh, but it doesn't matter… There's still no way I can get past this guy by myself. No, not just that… I'm pretty sure if I fight him _period_, I'm dead. _He glanced up at the sky. Slowly, he wasn't sure if he was imagining it or what, but Naruto's image appeared in the clouds. Shikamaru stared in surprise.

"_This will be your first mission: Escape the barrier, track down Naruto, and rescue Sakura!"_

"_We're going to stop Naruto from doing anything _stupid_…"_

"_So what, exactly, is your plan here, Shikamaru?"_

"_Naruto isn't the kind of person to take things slowly."_

"_Now Shikamaru can continue onward to stop Naruto and save Sakura."_

"_I'm proud to be your sensei, Shikamaru…"_

_"I'm leaving Naruto in your hands."  
_

Shikamaru smiled as the image of Naruto faded from the sky. And as it disappeared, the cloud slowly moved out of the sun's path. He looked back toward the man. He wasn't afraid anymore. He had too many people counting on him to be held up by one man, even if he was stronger then him. All he had to do was think; that's all he's _ever_ had to do.

The man called Orochimaru frowned. _What happened? In seconds all the fear he was holding on to just vanished... Why is he no longer afraid?  
_

Shikamaru quickly scanned his surroundings. _I don't have time to test out what kind of jutsu this guy uses, or get a gauge on his power. I need to focus, and try to get as much information I can in one shot!_

He quickly got down on one knee, doing the appropriate sign. "Shadow Possession Jutsu!"

l

Sakura reached Sengi, and let out the quickest barrage of punches she could muster, but he dodged every single one. Finding an opening, he jumped into the air, pointing his middle and index fingers down at her. Sakura jumped back quickly.

_I know what's coming, _she thought quickly. _But why didn't he make any signs?_

She was right. A bolt of green lightning shot out of Sengi's fingers just as she had jumped away, narrowly missing her. Sengi cursed as he brought his other arm up, aiming again. Sakura hit the ground hard with her feet as she landed, causing a large portion of the ground to shovel up in front of her just in time. The lightning bolt hit the piece of ground instead. The force of the attack, however, caused it to break apart, the shock wave sending Sakura sprawling across the ground.

Sengi landed as she was getting up in a sitting position. "I don't understand…" she said. "How can you continue to shoot lightning without signs?"

Sengi smirked. **"It's the clouds I created back at the stadium. As long as I'm in range, they'll still stimulate my chakra without the use of hand signs. Another reason why you-"**

Sengi was surprised to find a large piece of the ground coming right at him. He quickly held up two fingers, shooting lightning, and breaking it apart just in time. He growled in anger, quickly thinking, _**That brat! She lured me into a false sense of security! To think she could actually rip up a piece of the ground…!**_

He stopped short, eyes widening. Pushing through the rubble of rock he had created in front of him, was Sakura, arm peeled back, flying right toward him. Sengi stared at her as she approached, utterly shocked.

_**Impossible!**_

_**WHAM!**_

Sakura connected straight with Sengi's face. She sent him flying across the clearing, straight into the jumble of trees on the other side. She could hear some of the trees fall over from the impact. Sakura collapsed on her butt, breathing heavily. Even though she had only thrown a couple of punches, she was exhausted.

_It's only been a month! I haven't had enough time to work on building up my stamina to match all the chakra disposition yet…_

She was happy with herself, regardless. Now, all she had to do was wait for Naruto to arrive, and then they could-

_Zoom!_

Sakura's eyes widened in surprise. A bolt of lightning has just shot all the way across the clearing, passing right by her face and behind her. She focused on the other side of the clearing, and slowly she saw him. Sengi was emerging from the forest, head looking down at the ground. When he raised his head, his eyes met hers. She was surprised to find a large amount of green chakra hovering around the spot of his face where she had hit him.

_Something's not right! _she thought as she tried to stand. _I put everything I had into that last punch! It should've flattened him for at _least_ a day! Could it be that green chakra? _she theorized.

She gasped as he started rapidly moving across the clearing to reach her. She willed, _begged_ her legs to move but they just wouldn't oblige. He was holding his arms out.

"**How **_**dare**_** you make a **_**fool**_** of me, girl! Die!"**

Electricity began to spark around his hands, and soon, they were both covered in swarming, green electricity. He was almost upon here now, and she closed her eyes, waiting for the end.

_Naruto!_

…

"Rasengan!"

Sengi heard it just in time. He pulled back and jumped away as Naruto landed in front of Sakura, his Rasengan smashing into the earth were Sengi had just stood. Sakura snapped her eyes open as fast as possible, and found herself staring at Naruto's bent over back, his hand hovering over the crater his Rasengan had created in the ground.

A silence drifted across the clearing, the only sound coming from Sengi's electrified hands. Finally, Naruto spoke.

"Are you alright…Sakura?" He still had not turned around to see her.

She nodded, tears beginning to form in her eyes. "Yeah…"

"Did he hurt you?"

"No…"

"Good. Can you walk?"

She tried to rise to her feet. She managed it, but just barely. "I think so," she replied, casting a glance past Naruto to Sengi. He was grinning wider then she had ever seen.

She remembered what Sengi had told her before, and quickly tried to relay it to Naruto. "Naruto, you can't fight him! I don't know why, but he's trying to-"

"Please walk to the edge of the clearing behind us. I want you safe." He paused. "I won't be long."

Sakura was shocked. He was going to fight. "No, Naruto!" she said. "We need to get back to Konoha!"

Naruto remained calm as he answered her. "He'd just chase us, and you're not well enough to travel just yet. I need you safe."

"But-!"

Naruto shook his head. "I still owe him for what he did to Sasuke…and then he kidnapped you, and brought you to the middle of nowhere. No... This ends now."

Sakura knew better then to argue with Naruto when he was like this. Defeated, she slowly turned to the edge of the clearing. "Do you remember what I whispered to you before you started your match today?"

It took a moment for Naruto to reply. "Yes…"

Sakura took a deep gulp. "What about you?"

"…I do."

Sakura began to cry. "Then if you do, promise me you won't end up like Sasuke…or worse…"

Naruto sighed, finally looking back at her, only to see her back. "I promise."

Despite herself, Sakura smiled through her tears at Naruto's words. She slowly made her way over to the edge, but was stumbling every now and then. Naruto watched her every step of the way, makign sure she got just inside the forest, out of harm's way. Every time she stumbled, or almost lost her footing, had to control his anger. It took everything he had to not turn around and stab Sengi in the neck right then and there. She had obviously been fighting Sengi. That's why she was so weak right now. He took a deep breath before turning around to face Sengi, his red eyes meeting green ones.

"**You have finally arrived…Kyuubi."**

**End of Chapter. **

**Quick A/N: Sakura only has about maybe less then a quarter of her strength then Shippuden Sakura. She's only been training for a month, people.**

**Next Time:**

**The Turtle and the Fox,**

**The Shadow and the Snake,**

**The Sand and the Stone**


	31. The Turtle and the Fox

**Chapter 31**

**The Turtle and the Fox,**

**The Shadow and the Snake,**

**The Sand and the Stone**

_This is it, _Naruto thought as he stared at Sengi. This was why had come all this way. Not only to save Sakura, but to finally settle things with this _asshole_. He had caused nothing but trouble since the Exams started, and even though he had saved them during the Second Exam, Naruto had a feeling that was all a part of his plan. Nearly killing Sasuke… Kidnapping Sakura… And Naruto knew he had something to do with what was happening back at the stadium.

The more he thought about these things, and the more he kept staring at Sengi's _smirking_ face, the angrier he got. He just wanted to kill Sengi right then and there. No if's and's or but's about it!

And yet…

_**I felt an almost non-existent human presence during that battle. I don't think Sengi's actual mind was in it at all. The Sanbi's done a good job of suppressing it…**_

"_Sengi's Bijuu has completely locked him away; it is in control because Sengi can't be. His mind is in the darkness, and I believe…that you're the only person who can save him."_

Naruto had to remember that it wasn't really Sengi's fault. The Sanbi had taken over his mind and his body. He couldn't just _kill_ Sengi when he wasn't really responsible. _Alright then, _he decided. _I'll just have to beat the Sanbi!_

A sudden almost humorous growl echoed throughout his skull.

_**Easier said then done, boy.**_

_I don't need your opinion. It's the only choice I have. _

_**I'm only saying that the Sanbi is in complete control. With no interference from that host, he has complete access to all his powers…unlike us. If you're not careful, he'll rip you apart in **_**seconds**_**, and I, personally, don't want to die today!**_

Naruto had to admit that the Kyuubi had a point. He had beaten both Gaara _and_ Sasuke… He would have to be incredibly careful.

"So…" Naruto finally said. "It seems you've been waiting for me."

Sengi smiled. **"It took you long enough to catch up… But no matter. We can finally continue our battle."**

Naruto frowned. "What is it you want with me?" he asked, clenching his fists. "Why is our battle so important to you? Why go to such lengths just to fight me?"

Sengi seemed confused. **"You think I care about **_**you**_**? You think I would go to all this trouble just for **_**you**_**?" **He laughed. **"No… I care about what's **_**inside**_** you!"**

Naruto gritted his teeth. _So he _is_ after the Kyuubi… But why would he want to kill me? The Kyuubi would die as well…_

Sengi suddenly waved his electrified hands, bringing them both down in front of his face. Naruto could see the electricity seeping off them as they moved through the air.

"**Enough talking!" **He rushed forward at Naruto, holding his hands out to the side as ran. **"It's time we began!"**

He reached Naruto rather quickly, and brought his hands down as if he was slashing at him with a knife. Naruto jumped back just in time, watching as Sengi's hands came together, the electricity pouring off them and sparking randomly. Sengi smirked and jumped at Naruto, who landed just in time to jump again, this time, high into the air. As Sengi missed with his hands again, he turned around and looked up at Naruto as he finished two hand signs. He held an open palm out at Sengi.

"Wind Style: Turning Winds!"

A powerful gust of wind shot out of Naruto's palm, but Sengi was already fully aware of that jutsu. As soon as he saw the open palm, he jumped away, avoiding the harmful wind as it barreled into the ground. Sengi's electric hands had vanished when he landed. He aimed two fingers at Naruto, who was still in midair.

"**Ninja Art: Lightning Strike!"**

A bolt of green lightning shot out of Sengi's fingers straight for Naruto, but Naruto was familiar with that jutsu in turn. As soon as he noticed Sengi's hands had returned to normal, he canceled his jutsu and created a shadow clone in midair. The clone quickly grabbed the back of Naruto's shirt and pulled him to the right as the lightning passed by harmlessly.

Sengi frowned as the Narutos landed and charged at him. A significant amount of chakra began to form in one the Narutos' right hands. Sengi noticed this, eyes widening.

_**I've seen that before, **_he thought, recalling what tore through his cloaked arm when he was about to kill Sasuke and what had nearly hit him a moment ago. He glanced at the crater it had caused on the ground. _**It's a close range jutsu. He literally has to be right on top of me if he wants to hit me. **_He raised his arm, pointing his fingers at the Naruto who had finished forming the ball of chakra. _**If I keep my distance, I should be okay…**_

"**Lightning-!"**

He ducked quickly. The Naruto who hadn't formed the ball of chakra had thrown kunai at him the moment he began to speak. Sengi frowned as he jumped back, raising his arm again. _**So he compensates by running interference with clones… Not bad, but as long as I keep my distance, it's still pointless!**_

He was about to fire again, but he hit something behind him, stopping him completely. A pair of strong arms quickly wrapped around his gut, tying his arms down, and holding him in place. Sengi, fuming, quickly tilted his head around, doing his best to see who his captor was, and was astonished by what he saw.

It was Naruto!

_**Idiot! **_He thought to himself as he quickly faced forward again. The other two were approaching him quickly. _**Of course he would have multiple clones, just in case one wasn't enough of a distraction! But when did he have time? **_He took a deep breath as tried to wriggle free.

"You're not going anywhere!" the Naruto that was holding onto him shouted.

Sengi struggled but to no avail. He took a quick breath. _**Calm down… You still have a bit of time before that **_**thing**_** reaches you… Think!**_

It was then that the Naruto with the ball of chakra jumped into the air, holding his jutsu out in front of him, aimed directly at Sengi.

"We're finishing this now," the Naruto holding onto him said quietly. He seemed to be rather focused.

The Naruto with the ball of chakra quickly made two hand signs with his free hand, and at that moment, Sengi realized what was about to happen.

"Wind Style: Flying Rasengan!"

Naruto finished yelling out, and instantly, a gush of wind burst from the same palm with the ball of chakra, pushing it from his hand, and flinging it right at Sengi. The Rasengan was actually flying through the air!

Now short on time, Sengi thought quickly. **"Lightning Blitz!" **He opened his mouth wide, and three lightning bolts sprang forth making to intercept the ball of chakra. As they flew through the air, they formed together to make one, even bigger, lightning bolt. The two attacks met in midair, sparks and wind scattering in every direction. Eventually, though, the lightning bolt pushed through the ball of chakra, making it ripple, and fade out. It continued on to Naruto, but had lost so much power, it dissolved from lack of speed and strength before it even reached him.

The Naruto who had launched the Rasengan landed back on the ground on one knee as Sengi leaned forward lifting his Naruto off the ground, and turning sideways, slamming him back down onto the earth. He vanished in a poof of smoke as Sengi jumped back to his feet. He quickly drew a kunai, deflecting shuriken thrown at him by the Naruto who had remained on the ground. After twisting out of the way of a kunai, he shot lightning at the Naruto, who wasn't able to react in time. It went right through his chest, and he, too, disappeared.

Sengi turned his attention on the final, real, Naruto, who was breathing heavily, and clutching his right hand.

Sengi smiled. **"Quite a toll, isn't it? Balancing all those jutsu at one time?" **Narrowing his eyes for a better look, he found Naruto's right palm was bruised. **"And it looks like…that last one harmed you more then it did me."**

Between breaths, Naruto managed to retort, "Shut up!" He tried to refocus. _Yeah… But he has a point. I haven't even perfected the Flying Rasengan yet… I can't believe it still burns my hand this badly…_

Sengi flashed him a smirk before rushing forward, kunai drawn. Naruto gasped, grabbing a kunai of his own, and standing up. He blocked the attack just in time. Quickly, Naruto spun around, shuffling his feet, and made to stab Sengi in the back. But Sengi was to quick; he ducked low, causing Naruto to miss. He quickly countered by sweeping his leg across the ground as he turned, managing to trip Naruto up. As Naruto fell, Sengi twisted back to his feet, slashing at Naruto once more. Naruto, however, quickly flipped, catching himself on the ground with one hand, and clashing his kunai with Sengi's, blocking the attack.

Naruto pushed away with his arm and landed on his feet about ten feet away. Sengi stared at him, clenching the handle of his kunai.

_**This is impossible… **_he thought as he twirled the kunai around his finger. _**Long range combat is getting me nowhere, and obviously close range combat is completely out of the question. **_He glanced around the clearing. _**My only chance is to out speed and overpower him…**_

Much to Naruto's surprise, Sengi suddenly made a hand sign. After a moment, a brilliant array of green chakra began to spiral around him. It waved in the air, finally settling, and outlining him in a green aura.

He was glaring at Naruto. **"Kyuubi…" **he said slowly. **"Prepare yourself!"**

l

_Damn! _Neji thought desperately as Rin blocked another one of his strikes. They separated for just a moment before she rushed him, opening her fans and swinging them down. Neji flipped away just in time as the sharp edges came dangerously close to his face.

He got into a stance as he stood his ground. _What's going on here? _He thought. _How is she so familiar with the Gentle Fist…?_

On the other side of the clearing, Sado stood in-between Gaara and Lee. He looked from one to the other. _Not good… _he thought. _I've already used a lot of chakra, and this sand guy just arrived! _He turned back to Lee for a moment. _This idiot in green's got nothing left, but he still could get in my way… _He suddenly rushed at Lee, fist drawn back. _I'll go ahead and get him out of the way!_

Lee wasn't ready. He tried to move out of the way, but Sado had the advantage of a head start; Lee wasn't going to make it. But as Sado shot his fist forward, fully expecting to knock Lee's lights out, a burst of sand appeared in front of Lee's face, blocking his punch completely.

_Damn! _Sado thought. He gasped. The sand that was blocking his punch slowly began to spiral and twist up his arm. Panicking, he ripped his arm from the sand and jumped to the side, away from both his opponents. He cast a glance at Gaara, who still stood atop the stone wall Sado had created, arms crossed, virtually unmoved.

When Sado stopped, he knelt down. He quickly pulled a piece of the ground up, and hurled it at the stone wall. It hit at the base, causing the wall to crumble. Gaara jumped from the top. Sado smiled, quickly ramming his hand on the surface of the ground. As soon as he did so, a large rock column shot up from below Gaara, who was still in midair.

Gaara made no attempt to dodge, however. He was completely calm as the rock column approached him. When it was about to connect, a large clump of sand appeared from nowhere, blocking the stone, and protecting Gaara as landed on the ground.

Sado fumed. _What the hell? How am I supposed to touch him when he keeps protecting himself with that fucking sand? _He suddenly sensed movement to his right! Looking away from Gaara, he saw Lee not five feet away, fist drawn back.

"Gaara is not the only one you have to worry about!" Lee punched, but Sado was barely able to block it. Following through, Lee spun around in the air. "Leaf Hurricane!" Sado raised his elbow, and blocked that as well. Sado quickly resituated, moving over and grabbing Lee's leg. With a quick spin, he tossed him away. Right before Lee hit the ground, a mound of sand flowed under him, cushioning his fall considerably.

Sado spit, looking back to Gaara. _I'm not going to get anywhere with that ridiculous jutsu!_

Rin suddenly rushed Neji again, this time jumping the final bit of distance. She began to spin. _She's going to kick! _Neji thought, dropping into a stance to defend himself. It was true. Rin began to extend her leg as she came full circle with the kick, but what happened next surprised Neji. For a split second, he swore he saw Lee kicking at him. He blinked.

"Leaf Hurricane!"

_Lee! _He thought, dropping his guard for a second. The kick connected straight across his face, sending Neji spiraling across the ground. In a second, he was back on his feet, wiping the blood from his face. Rin stood in front of him.

"What was that?" he asked her. "The Leaf Hurricane is a move that belongs to my teammate and sensei. How do you know of it?" He thought back to the kick. _And not just know it, but perfect it? It was a flawless rendition of the Leaf Hurricane. I could've sworn it was Lee who was attacking me. _

Rin held out her fans. "These fans have a unique characteristic. Whenever they touch a person, it leaves a certain type of chakra signature in them. By analyzing that chakra with my own, I can learn every physical move that person has ever used, and perform it flawlessly. Ya see, I'm not much of a jutsu fan… Waste of time if you ask me." She grinned, dropping into the exact fighting stance that Lee used. "I like to get up close and personal!"

Neji looked closely at her fans with his Byakugan. His eyes widened as he examined them. _Amazing, _he thought. _There's so much chakra in the fans! Tons of it! Crisscrossing back and forth, all of them pouring into her hands! _He cursed himself. _Damn! I wasn't really paying attention to the fans during our battle! _He stopped short as a realization crossed his mind. _Impossible…! That means…!_

Rin began to laugh. "It seems you've finally figured it out, Hyuga. The only thing you've been doing this whole battle is striking my _fans_…!" She suddenly changed stances, dropping into a stance used for the Gentle Fist.

Neji took a step back. _Impossible! _

Rin smiled. "Well then… It seems you don't like jutsu that much either!" As she rushed forward, Neji saw a mirror image of his own movements as he dropped into a defensive position. "Perfect!"

Sado began to rapidly form hand signs. _This guy is leaving me with no choice! _Gaara watched as he rapidly formed sign after sign. There were to fast for him to follow. When Sado finished he raised his hands to the sky, each palm wide open.

"Earth Style: Stone Needle Rain!" he shouted.

Gaara looked up, and after just a second, he saw thousands of tiny needles falling from the sky at a breakneck speed. He quickly held out his arm covering Lee with a shield of sand just as some of his own arched above him. He glanced at Neji, but it looked like the needles weren't spreading to that side of the clearing. Suddenly, the needles began to pound into the sand above Gaara. It sounded like thousands of tiny bullets were just sinking into the sand.

It probably went on for a full minute. When they finally did cease, Gaara waited another ten seconds before dropping the sand around Lee and himself. His eyes widened when he saw Sado. He was still standing in the same position, arms held to the sky, but he had no protection. They were at least a thousand needles protruding from his skin. Gaara closed his eyes as he began to walk to Lee.

Lee was shaking his head. "But…why?"

Gaara looked at him. "He knew there was no other way out."

Lee stared at the ground.

"You've changed," Gaara said suddenly. "When we fought, you were much more agile."

Lee was hesitant to respond. "I am still recovering from that battle." He said. "I am not one to hold grudges, but I sustained severe injuries from you."

Gaara didn't reply.

Lee smiled, giving him the thumbs up. "But do not worry. You saved my life today. You should not feel guilty!"

Gaara stared at him for a moment. He was about to say something but he got cut off.

"Earth Style…"

Gaara whipped around as Lee got into a stance. Sado was running right toward them. The needles still stuck from his body. With every step, blood oozed from his wounds.

"Stone Acupuncture!"

He held out his hands as he ran. Suddenly, all the needles from his body shot out, heading straight for Gaara and Lee. Gaara acted quickly calling his sand forward, blocking all the needles once more. After the needles subsided, Gaara dropped his sand, about to counteract, but Sado was no longer there.

Suddenly, the ground beneath them began to crumble. They lost their footing and stumbled as a figure punched out of the ground. As he came up, he uppercut Gaara, nailing him right below the chin. He was sent flying backward across the ground, his sand doing its best to protect him. Lee made to punch but Sado was to fast; he knocked Lee's fist away, hitting him with his forearm, knocking him away in turn.

Lee was struggling to stand back up, but stopped when Gaara put a hand in front of him. "Don't worry," he said, most of his sand armor around his chin falling away. "I'll handle this."

Gaara began to form hand signs. When he finished, a large clump of sand began to gather above his head, the largest Lee had ever seen. It suddenly began to fly forward, like a missile, straight for Sado.

"Ha!" Sado scoffed, as he performed four quick signs. "Earth Style: Giant Stone Wall!"

A very large stone wall rose from the ground in front of him just as Gaara's sand collided with it. Gaara held a hand sign in place, focusing. The sand wasn't breaking through. It was just hitting the stone!

Sado held a hand sign in place as well. "Give it up, fool!" He yelled. "The piece of ground you see in front of me is solid stone, and I'm even reinforcing it with my own chakra. There's no way something as _flimsy_ as your sand can get through!"

And yet Gaara persevered. He held his sign, staring at the sand. "You're the fool," he said. "It doesn't matter how solid you _think_ your rock is… There will always be the tiniest hole…"

At that moment, Sado noticed bits of the sand flowing from a small crack in the wall. _What?_

"…for my sand to get through."

Eventually, Sado saw more sand began to pile through the crack. Suddenly, his wall began to crack up and down, letting even more sand pass through. He took a step back. _Impossible!_ Suddenly, a mound of sand erupted through crack, and the wall finally crumbled under the stress, letting all the sand through. It hit him with such force, the wind was knocked out of him.

_This is it for me…! _He thought. "What are you waiting for, idiots! Come out now!" he shouted through a mouthful of sand. The sand pushed him straight through a tree. He hit it with such force he was instantly knocked out.

Gaara was breathing heavily as he pulled his sand back.

Lee appeared beside him. "Good job, Gaara! He is definitely not getting up for a while."

Gaara swallowed. "It's not over yet," he said, staring into the forest.

As if on cue, a dozen Sound and a dozen Cloud ninja jumped from the trees and bushes, landing shoulder to shoulder just inside the clearing. They all slowly drew kunai.

One of them said, "Never leave _kids_ to get the job done." He laughed, flicking a glance at Sado. "They're always beaten by other kids."

Lee gasped. "No way! They have been there this whole time?"

Gaara frowned. "It seems they were back-up in case these two failed."

Lee shakily got into a stance. "It seems as if we will never catch up to Naruto…"

Gaara shook his head. "No, we will… We'll just have to take care of this first!"

Neji barely avoided Rin's series of strikes. His Byakugan raced along with them. He still couldn't believe it. Rin was using a perfect form of the Gentle Fist Style! He stepped and twisted and did everything he could to avoid the attacks. When she finally stopped for a moment, he took the break and went on the offensive. He twisted around, attacking with all his skill, but no matter how complex his attack pattern was, Rin was able to block and avoid them all just as easily. They broke away from each other.

"What's the point in copying my fighting style?" Neji asked. "Now we're not going to get anywhere!"

Rin smiled. "That's the whole point! This battle will be never ending!"

Neji frowned. "But you don't even have the Byakugan! Why copy the Gentle Fist if you can't even see chakra points?"

Rin didn't reply; she just rushed forward again. Neji spat and flipped over her as she attacked. _I guess she's done talking… _he concluded. When he landed he spun around quickly as she ran toward him again. He sighed. _Looks like it's come to that… _He dropped into a specific stance. As soon as Rin saw it, she stopped short. She examined the stance, looking at Neji very carefully.

Neji smiled. _Look all you want! It doesn't matter if you're aware of all my moves… Without the Bayakugan and the added stamina of my training, there's no way you could even attempt this… _His eyes widened in shock. Rin was getting into the exact same stance, smirking at him.

Neji shook his head. "Don't try it! You'll kill yourself!"

"Don't underestimate me!"

Neji closed his mouth. _Fine… it's your choice!_ He took a deep breath. "Gentle Fist Art…"

Rin suddenly spoke up. "Eight Trigrams…"

They both shouted! "Sixty-four Palm!"

They ran together with blinding speed, striking at the same time. "Two Palm!"

Twice, the struck together. Neji gasped.

"Four Palm!"

Again.

"Eight Palm!"

Again!

"Sixteen Palm!"

Again…!

"Thirty-two Palm!"

_Again…!_

"Sixty-four Palm!"

_Impossible…! _Neji thought desperately. As they ended together, Rin spun around quickly, kicking him in the side of the face, and sending him spiraling across the ground. Shakily, he stood up, wiping the blood from his lip. Rin was breathing heavily.

"I told you…it will…_never_ end!" She said between pants.

Neji stared her down. _This can't be… She knows all my moves, and beyond all logic, is able to keep up with me… _An idea struck him. _My only chance would be to attack with a move I don't know… But how is that even possible? _Then he suddenly remembered! Neji jumped forward, falling into the Sixty-four Palm stance he had used just moments ago.

Rin scoffed. "Really? Trying the same thing on me again?" She laughed and followed suit, copying Neji perfectly.

Neji smiled at her. "Not exactly." He suddenly switched, displacing his arm movement.

Rin gasped. _He changed his stance? _She focused her chakra and racked her brain. One piece of taijutsu after another flowed through her in quick succession until it suddenly…stopped. It all took less then a second. _What? _She thought. She checked again, and still came up with nothing._ This can't be possible! I… I don't know this move!_

"What's the matter?" She looked up and met Neji's piercing eyes. "Having trouble?"

_How can this be!_

Neji continued. "The reason you can't find this one is because, while I do _know_ it, I've never actually _used_ it before. If I recall… you said you can only perform moves the other has actually performed themselves…" It felt like Rin had been stabbed right through her chest. She had never come across something like this before.

"This will _not_ be a never ending battle," Neji concluded. He took a deep breath. "Eight Trigrams: 128 Palm!"

He rushed forward as Rin tried to prepare herself. "Eight Trigrams: Sixty-four Palm!"

When they clashed, they struck at the same time, Rin blocking every one of Neji's strikes. But he was so much faster then he was before. As Rin neared the end of her sixty-four palm round, Neji showed no signs of slowing down. When Rin's attack finally came to an end, she tried to move away but he was to fast. He began to finally strike her body, his remaining attacks hitting every mark on the dot. Rin had never felt anything more painful.

When Neji finally stopped, Rin immediately fell over onto her back, dropping her fans. They split in half as they collided with the ground, the strain of clashing with Neji's Gentle Fist finally pulling through.

_I can't move… _She thought weakly, coughing up blood. Neji's face suddenly appeared above her. He didn't say anything; she didn't want him to. Slowly, she lost conciseness.

Neji collapsed on one knee, breathing heavily. He smiled. His plan had worked perfectly. He glanced at Lee and Gaara just in time to see a ton of enemy ninja emerge from the forest. He gasped in surprise. _But I didn't see anything with my Byakugan! This whole time…! _Gaara and Lee got into fighting stances. Neji winced as stood up, getting in one of his own.

"At this rate…"

l

"Shadow Possession Jutsu!"

Shikamaru's shadow sprang forward to its target. Orochimaru watched as the shadow neared, and right before it reached him, he jumped away, landing on a nearby tree branch. Shikamaru cursed, pulling his shadow back. Orochimaru chuckled.

"Shadow jutsu… You must be from the Nara clan."

Shikamaru froze. How did this guy know about his clan? He took a glance up at him. _If he knows about my clan, I have to assume he knows about my jutsu… This'll be even harder then I thought. I don't even have the element of surprise!_

Shikamaru ran forward, drawing a kunai. Orochimaru jumped from the branch. He landed in front of Shikamaru. Shikamaru closed the rest of the distance and attacked. Orochimaru dodged all the slashes effortlessly, before catching Shikamaru off guard, grabbing his shirt, and throwing him into the air. Shikamaru flipped, landing on a tree branch. He examined the ground, trying to form a plan.

Suddenly, he threw his kunai at Orochimaru, who stepped to the side. He threw another one, and Orochimaru stepped back. Shikamaru reached into his weapons pouch, and threw another kunai.

Orochimaru chuckled. _Why does he keep trying the same thing? _Again, Orochimaru stepped to the side as the kunai embedded into the ground. He was about to counterattack, but the kunai suddenly sparked. Orochimaru took a closer look. His eyes widened as he jumped away. _Paper bomb!_ The kunai exploded in the wake of Orochimaru's evasion, leaving behind a large crater. Orochimaru landed on a tree branch level with Shikamaru. He chuckled again.

"Not bad…leading me into a false sense of security." He paused. "Your smarter then you look." Shikamaru didn't reply, and Orochimaru frowned. "Very well… I was trying to make the moment before your death pleasant." He opened his mouth wide, and slowly, a long sword slid out of it into his outstretched hand.

He suddenly jumped at Shikamaru, who leaped back to the ground just as Orochimaru slashed with his weapon, cutting the branch clean in two. He continued forward, touch a tree trunk with his feet, before pushing off, rebounding back toward Shikamaru. Shikamaru drew a kunai, and blocked Orochimaru's attack when he reached him.

Orochimaru landed, and pulled back before circling around Shikamaru to his exposed back. He raised his sword, but stopped and jumped back as Shikamaru's shadow extended behind him. Landing a good distance away, Orochimaru relaxed as Shikamaru called back his shadow. He watched as he bent to the ground, touched his shadow for a moment, and then stood up again, a long black object dangling from his free hand.

Orochimaru's eyes widened as Shikamaru snapped his shadow whip, holding his kunai close to his face. _Interesting… That one must be new…_

Shikamaru charged forward as Orochimaru prepared himself, running right through the crater he had created with his paper bomb. When he was in range, he jumped forward, attacking with his knife, which Orochimaru blocked handily. Quickly shifting his weight, Shikamaru snapped his other wrist, the whip tightening around Orochimaru's legs. With one good tug, Shikamaru pulled his end of the whip, causing Orochimaru to fall straight on his back. Still in the air, Shikamaru brought his kunai down on a very surprised Orochimaru, stabbing him right in the chest.

For a moment, everything was still, but then Orochimaru disappeared in a poof of smoke, a log resting on the ground where he once was. _Substitution! _Shikamaru thought, jumping away from the log. A split second later, it exploded in a fir of fury. Shikamaru slid when he landed, glancing around for Orochimaru.

"Behind you…"

Shikamaru's eyes widened in shock. No sooner had he turned to look, he was met with a swift kick to chest, knocking him away. He rolled a long the ground when he landed. He took a moment, and allowed his shadow whip to seep back to the ground, reforming his shadow once more. When he finally stopped, he tried to sit up, but a pain shot through his chest. He glared at Orochimaru. Then, quickly, glanced at the distance from the crater he had created. _Not yet…_

Orochimaru chuckled again, performing four hand signs. As soon as he finished, the ground below his feet began to displace, shaking slightly. Slowly, twelve white cylinders began to rise from the earth. They quickly took shape, forming into twelve brown snakes, all hissing at Shikamaru. They began to slither across the ground at an alarming speed. Shikamaru quickly found the strength to stand.

As they neared him, the snakes quickly arched from the ground, rising into the air. When the reached the peak of the height, the same type of sword Orochimaru was holding protruded from each of their mouths. After a moment, they all swooped down, coming at Shikamaru from an angle. The blades extruding from their mouths seemed to be ripping through the air.

_Only chance! _Shikamaru acted quickly. Kneeling down, he executed the appropriate signs, and when he finished, he slammed his hand on his shadow. The snaked were nearly upon him now.

"Ninja Art: Shadow Spears!"

From Shikamaru's base shadow, it split into twelve equal bits, each bit actually rising from the ground at a blinding speed. As the bits of thin shadow extended from Shikamaru, they embedded into the underside of the snakes' mouths, thrusting all the way, and cutting straight through the roof. Blood dripped down the shadows. The snakes ceased immediately, and after a moment, they turned white again before dissolving back into the ground. Shikamaru canceled his jutsu, leaning forward on his hands. He was exhausted.

_I've never been forced to use my shadow jutsu in this quick of a succession before. Especially the more advanced ones… My chakra's running low… _He tried to take deep breaths. _I don't know how much longer I'll be able to keep this up. _

It was then that Shikamaru felt the cool touch of steel against his neck.

He froze completely, not daring to move. He could sense Orochimaru's hot breath behind him. "You've done well, boy," Orochimaru said quietly. "Although…. If I had actually been _trying_… You would have been dead long ago."

Shikamaru was speechless. _What did he just say?_

"It was fun while it lasted," Orochimaru assured him. "But I'm beginning to grow tired of this…"

As the blade began to move, Shikamaru lurched forward, forming a single hand sign. He spun around quickly to the sight of Orochimaru swinging his blade down at him. Quickly, a shadow hand rose from Shikamaru's shadow, catching the sword's blade as it neared his face. Orochimaru frowned, and pushed against the hand. His chakra running low, Shikamaru could feel his jutsu breaking, so he quickly jumped away, releasing his jutsu. He landed on the other side of the crater.

Orochimaru sliced through the hand and ran forward, holding his sword in front of him. Breathing heavily, Shikamaru collapsed on a knee as Orochimaru charged. Orochimaru closed the distance quickly, finally drawing into range. As soon as he stepped into the crater he…

…Stopped?

It was true. Orochimaru was frozen in place, sword raised for attack. _What's going on here…?_

"Shadow Possession… Success…" Shikamaru said, raising his head to look at Orochimaru, who in turn, raised his head to the sky.

Orochimaru smiled. "I see…" He suddenly looked down at the surface of the crater, thanks to Shikamaru. He saw it covered in a twisting shadow, and he had stepped right into it. "So you laid a trap… When?"

"About the same time I created this with my paper bomb. It's called 'Shadow Overload,' and it's a move you possibly couldn't be aware of considering I developed it myself over this past month. I could tell you were too strong to actually catch the easy way, so I had to try to force you to get caught with a jutsu you didn't know."

Orochimaru chuckled. "I see. You laid this some time ago, but stretched it so thin that it wouldn't be disturbed by all your movement and other shadow jutsu. I should've noticed that throughout the battle you were always holding a little of the shadow back." He chuckled again. _I can't believe it… This boy actually outsmarted me. _"However…"

Orochimaru opened his mouth wide, and slowly, a figure began to from there. Shikamaru stepped back in shock. It was Orochimaru! Orochimaru was climbing out of his own mouth! Covered in some kind of liquid, Orochimaru finally forced his way out, grabbing his sword, and jumping to a nearby branch. His previous body fell to the ground in a giant lump, like dead skin.

Shikamaru stared up at him. _Impossible! He's had a jutsu like that this whole time! No way… As soon as he found out I used shadow jutsu, he had already won… _His Shadow Overload jutsu slowly shrunk back to him. _It's…over…_

Orochimaru smiled down at him. "I'm done."

Shikamaru blinked. _What…..?_

"I already told you I had grown bored with this battle. Regardless, The Raikage's plan is proving to be a giant hazard to me. I mean, look what his monster did to my _poor_ Sasuke…" He paused. "Truthfully I hope that Sengi boy completes his task, but I'm pulling out right now, and I'm taking all my Sound ninja with me. This whole operation has been a complete waste." He took a final look at Shikamaru before turning around. "I hope our paths cross again, boy…" With that, he disappeared.

Shikamaru waited a minute before relaxing. He was completely drained, but he knew he had to keep moving. He was so close to Naruto! He jumped to the nearest branch, and took off to the next one, once again heading due North.

l

Sengi roared as he rushed at Naruto, his green chakra practically spilling from his clothes. He was in Naruto's face in seconds, punching. Naruto reacted quickly, blocking the attack before throwing his fist down and jumping over him.

_He's activated his Bijuu chakra, _he thought as he landed. _I hate to do it, but if I stand a chance, I'm going to have to do the same._

He took a moment to concentrate, and then suddenly, a great red force spiraled around him. It put an even more demonic feeling in the air, and pulsed energy through his veins. It looked as if Sengi was enjoying every second of it.

"**That's it, Naruto!" **he shouted. **"I want you at your best when I kill you!"**

"No one's killing anyone today!" Naruto yelled back.

Sengi rushed forward again, and this time, Naruto took off as well. They met in the middle of the clearing, both punching and both blocking, their hands interlocked. Here, Sengi got right up in Naruto's face.

"_**THAT IS FOR ME TO DECIDE!"**_

**End of Chapter.**

**Next Time:**

**Naruto Dies.**


	32. Naruto Dies

**Chapter 32**

**Naruto Dies**

Naruto pushed Sengi away, his red chakra twirling and mixing with Sengi's green chakra at an alarming speed. Sengi performed one flip before landing, and as soon as he hit the ground, he pushed off at Naruto again. Naruto quickly jumped into the air, avoiding the attack. Sengi caught himself before turning, aiming two fingers up at Naruto.

Naruto acted quickly, making two shadow clones on his right in the air. The first one to his right grabbed him, and tugged him in his direction, just barely in time to avoid Sengi's lightning. The real Naruto kept going though, straight into the arms of the other clone. The clone caught him securely, and with a quick spin, flung him down at Sengi.

Sengi gasped, and quickly backed away as Naruto smashed into the ground right where he had been standing. Sengi landed and glanced back to Naruto just in time to see his left hand move away from his right, which held another swirling mass of chakra. Sengi frowned as he prepared himself, taking into account the clones he had made, which were falling fast. Sengi expected Naruto to charge, but he didn't. Instead, he just held his hand in the air, as one of his two clones began to pass above him. The clone quickly twisted in the air, holding out an open palm as he passed over the original Naruto.

Within a second, Naruto passed the Rasengan to his clone, who was still moving through the air. Sengi took a step back as he realized the clone was heading straight for him. He quickly jumped and spun in the air as the Naruto clone slammed his attack into the ground, sending dust spiraling everywhere.

The real Naruto and his second clone began to run toward the situation just as the dust settled. They found the Naruto and Sengi clashing kunai. The Naruto stepped back and slashed a couple times, but Sengi blocked them all before jumping in the air and tossing his kunai back down. It missed and embedded in the ground just as the real Naruto and the other clone arrived. Sengi smirked

Naruto frowned in confusion, but then he heard a loud sizzling sound. He and his two clones looked around for a moment before the three of them glanced at each other and looked down. It was coming from Sengi's kunai!

Sengi was overjoyed with laughter as the explosive tag wrapped around his kunai exploded below him. It had taken him a tad longer then he had hoped, but he had finally done it! He looked down at the swirling dust and cloud of dirt. He couldn't help but laugh again.

"**It's not the speed of the job!" **he said to himself. **"It's how you go about completing it!" **

"Yeah…" he heard someone say. His eyes widened as he stared into the smoke. _**Impossible! **_"And it looks like you still have a lot to learn! Wind Style: Turning Cyclone!"

Almost immediately, a large gust of wind ripped through the cloud of dirt and caught Sengi square in the gut. He was sent spiraling through the air for a moment before slamming into the ground. He quickly rolled back to his feet, clutching his arm in pain. He was staring down Naruto and his two clones, each holding an arm out, palm extended in a triangle formation. They quickly separated, each pulling a kunai from their respective holster, and getting in a stance. Naruto wouldn't stop staring at him.

Sengi took a step back, glancing around him. _**This is ludicrous… No matter what I do, he's always able to counter me some how… **_He took a deep breath. _**I never imagined it would come to this… Sengi's body has gone through a lot today, so I'll have to be quick. **_He slowly leaned forward, taking the ground on all fours, showing Naruto a wide, evil looking smirk.

_**You brought this upon yourself…!**_

Naruto gasped, for in an instant, the green bubbly like chakra he had seen in Sasuke's battle began to circle and entwine Sengi's body. It formed in the same shape as last time, outlining his arms and underside, and arching at his back like a shell. It connected and extended in his rear like a tail.

Naruto faltered slightly. He could _feel_ the power emitting from Sengi… The sheer _evil_ of it astounded him. He hadn't felt this yesterday. _Is this…? _he thought slowly. _Is this what Sasuke was feeling…?_

Before he had time to even ponder the thought, Sengi was gone. Naruto took a step back, looking in every direction he could think of. But Sengi suddenly appeared on his right, his chakra cloaked arm ripping right through his clone, which disappeared in a quick poof of smoke. Naruto made to attack with his kunai, but Sengi quickly vanished again. _So fast…! _He thought desperately.

No sooner had he turned to look at his other clone, he saw one of Sengi's cloaked arms barreling out of the ground, grabbing him by his waist, and pulling him under. Naruto jumped back from the scene just as he felt his other clone being destroyed. He grabbed another kunai, and held them both out in front of him, his eyes quickly scanning the area. He wasn't prepared for something like this!

He heard a crash behind him and did a quick spin just in time to see one of Sengi's green hands coming right at him. He had no time, and Sengi's overpowered hand quickly crashed around his throat, throwing him to the ground. He dropped both his kunai immediately, his first instinct to throw his hand up and try to pry himself free. The pressure around his throat was agonizing, and he soon found himself staring into Sengi's grim face.

"**The **_**great**_** Naruto Uzumaki…" **he said slowly, almost spitting each word. **"Who would have thought he'd go out like this…?" **

Naruto tried to respond but to no avail. He felt Sengi tighten his grip. With every moment that passed he felt his throat constrict a little more. His vision suddenly blurred. Was Sengi right? Was he really about to go out like this? He couldn't believe it! All his big talk… It always seemed to happen like this. He suddenly remembered what Sasuke said to him yesterday.

"_Then I guess… This'll be as far as I was meant to go…" _

Naruto's eyes suddenly widened. After a moment, a powerful gush of red chakra spiraled around him, bringing with it a powerful surge of energy. Sengi looked on confused at first, but as the chakra became more pronounced, it quickly began to blind him and force him backwards. He grunted and let go of Naruto, sliding backwards with the momentum of Naruto's chakra. _**Impossible…! **_

He looked on as even more chakra began to cascade around Naruto. Slowly, Naruto got to his feet, one hand on his throat, and the other pushing against his leg to help support himself. He gave Sengi a blood-searing glare. His chakra still danced around him like ribbons in a strong wind.

Naruto didn't even say anything. He rushed forward at an alarming speed; Sengi was just barely able to ready himself. Naruto was in front of him punching, but Sengi quickly brought a cloaked hand up and blocked it. He threw Naruto's punch away as he brought his other arm upward, aiming to strike Naruto's face. However, Naruto rolled to the side with his punch, barely avoiding Sengi's attempt. As soon as Naruto got back to his feet, he quickly dashed around to Sengi's other side. Sengi was ready though.

Naruto had to double check himself. He stepped back, just narrowly avoiding the deadly, green, chakra tail. He slid a kunai out of his holster, twirling it around his finger before moving forward again. By this time, however, Sengi had turned around, and they were face to face once more. Sengi growled as he straightened out his palms, and transformed his chakra hands into blades. He attacked Naruto, who blocked the strikes. They exchanged like this for a moment, before Naruto threw his weapon, and jumped backward, performing a hand sign, sliding as he landed on the ground.

"Shadow Clone Jutsu!"

Five clones appeared around him, which surprised Sengi. He watched as three of the clones immediately rushed at him, each possessing the powerful, spiraling, Kyuubi chakra. As he intercepted them, he saw the other three Narutos gathering close together, but he couldn't identify what they were up to. The three clones were quite the handful! They jumped and glided around him, wielding kunai, and punching at him every now and then. He twirled and spun with them, doing his best to eliminate blind spots.

He finally caught one as they crossed in the air together. He thrust his chakra blade straight through his back, and the clone disappeared in a puff of smoke. He landed and quickly brought up his blades to block kunai strikes from the two that remained. He knocked their kunai away, and slashed at each of them. He sliced right through one, and it evaporated. The other one managed to jump away just in time, but he quickly wrapped his tail around the retreating Naruto and slammed him hard in the ground. This one, too, vanished in a puff of smoke.

He finally cast a look at the other Narutos and was surprised by what he saw. All three were standing side by side, their Kyuubi chakra seemingly melded together, each of them holding that bright ball of chakra. Despite himself, Sengi felt a cool bead of sweat run down his cheek. He knew that, alone, that attack wasn't a big problem, but he wondered what Naruto was planning having three of them.

Two of the clones suddenly shot forward, each holding the attack out in front of them. The last Naruto hung back just a second before taking off after them. The two in front threw shuriken, which Sengi deflected easily. Sengi prepared himself as the neared him. He was surprised to find that one of them took a long leap and jumped clear over him. He was distracted for half a second as he watched the Naruto, but he quickly refocused his attention as the other Naruto shot forward with his attack. Without hesitating, Sengi jumped into the air, narrowly missing the ball of chakra. He swung one of his arms down as he jumped, cutting the clone right into its puff of smoke that always accompanied their destruction.

Still in the air, he glanced at the Naruto that had jumped over him and found he was aiming his ball of chakra right at him. He gasped as realization slammed through his system. He quickly spun his head around, and found that the last Naruto, who had hung back just a moment, was doing the same thing. Sengi scrambled, quickly reverting his blades back into hands, and aiming at both of them. _**NO!**_

"Too late!" the Narutos said together, as they performed the appropriate signs with their free hands. "Wind Style: Flying Rasengan!"

They both shot the Rasengan at him as he shot lightning at the two of them. The lightning being faster, it quickly seared through them both, but not before the damage was done. The Rasengan were approaching fast! Swiftly and skillfully, he shot his arms downward, extending them to the ground. He clasped the ground with a nice grip and pulled! He shot downward just as the Rasengan collided with each other behind him, causing a massive surge of wind.

Sengi smirked to himself as he approached the ground, his arms still clasped firmly on the Earth's surface. He suddenly realized that the real Naruto _must_ have been one of the two he shot at the end, and he looked from one to the other. However, they both quickly disappeared in a swirl of smoke. Sengi's eyes widened in surprise.

_**What? But that can't be! I defeated every Naruto there was! How did-**_

The ground in-between where his hands were suddenly began to crumble and crack. Sengi eyed it carefully, and was surprised to find a figure suddenly tearing through it, jumping straight at him. His red chakra still as menacing as ever, Naruto was coming right at him, a final Rasengan held in front of him.

Sengi fumed. **"You! You mean to tell me you were **_**never**_** among those clones! But when did you…?" **Sengi stopped himself. He knew that didn't matter right now. What _did_ matter is that Naruto was holding that damn ball of chakra, and to make things worse, Sengi was pulling himself right into it! _**This'll be risky… **_he thought desperately. _**But I have no choice!**_

Naruto sill aiming right for him, Sengi flung his mouth open as wide as possible. Electricity sparked in and around his mouth, and suddenly, a large, green, electric ball was hanging from his mouth, secured by more electricity. He was able to finish just in time, because not even a second later, Naruto clashed with him.

"Rasengan!"

"**Demon Inazuma!" **

The two attacks collided in a fit of fury, Naruto's red chakra swirling with Sengi's green chakra. They pushed against each other for a long moment, never turning their gaze away from the other's menacing eyes. Finally, the attacks imploded into one another in a huge explosion! Naruto and Sengi were sent spiraling and twisting away from each other. Sengi hit the ground, and slid for just a moment, before catching himself with his powerful cloaked arms, and stopping his momentum. Naruto hit the ground and continued to roll until he came to a stop.

Sengi was on all fours again, hunched over even farther then usual. Electricity was literally dripping from his mouth, sparking as it hit the air. Sengi focused his chakra and even more came flowing out. _**Naruto will have to wait a moment…I must quickly dispel the electricity from Sengi's lungs, or he'll die…! **_

Naruto was left staring up at the bright blue sky, weak and bruised. He didn't have to look at his right arm to see if it was injured. He could _feel_ it. His stomach felt like it was twisted, and his throat still ached. More importantly, he could tell his body was reaching its limits. He slowly sat up, wincing as he did so. Sengi was to powerful. Back at the stadium, and even when they began fighting here, Naruto was holding his own, but as a Jinchuriki, Sengi was in a league of his own. Naruto just couldn't keep up.

He needed a new plan. He had to take Sakura and get out of here as quickly as possible. But obviously Sengi just wasn't going to _let_ them leave. He needed a distraction… Clones? No, even if he made a dozen or so, they wouldn't give him the time he needed. _But maybe… _He bit his finger before performing the appropriate signs he needed, finishing by slamming his hand into the ground beside him. In the large swirl of smoke that followed, Naruto almost immediately heard a voice.

"Twice in two days, Naruto? My, my, so much for your, 'Meh, I probably won't even have to summon you' attitude huh?" As the smoke vanished, Gamatosu's white figure could be seen, arms crossed, looking rather bored. "I mean, you're really going to owe me one after all this. You just completely ruined the meal I was just having…" Gamatosu suddenly stopped as his eyes rested on Naruto's condition. He also found Sengi on the other side of the clearing, throwing up electricity.

He leaned down close to Naruto, his lazy and uninterested attitude dropped immediately. "Please tell me the situation."

Naruto chuckled slightly, but quickly caught himself as a sharp pain shot up through his gut. "That guy over there, Sengi… He's incredibly strong. I just haven't been able to do anything the whole time we've been fighting."

Gamatosu was nodding. "I see… So you summoned me so we could overpower him together?"

"Well, not exactly…" Gamatosu gave him a confused expression. "I'm not feeling to hot. If you could just buy me some time, I need to grab a friend of mine and try to head back to Konoha."

"Naruto, that is incredibly risky. You have to realize he's not just going to let you stroll out of here. And remember, we toads aren't the fastest thing in the world. I might only be able to detain him for a moment."

Naruto sighed, afraid of this. "I know, and I'm sorry for putting you in such a dangerous situation…" He glanced at Gamatosu, pure determination showing in his eyes. "But I have to try."

Gamatosu seemed like he wanted to say something, but he shook his head, looking back to Sengi, who as still staring at them intently, a small smirk forming at his lips.

"I'll try…" Gamatosu finally replied, drawing the two swords that were strapped to his back. "But I can't guarantee anything!" He flashed Naruto a smile, before dropping low to the ground, and leaping towards Sengi.

Immediately, Naruto rushed off for the edge of the clearing where he had told Sakura to wait for him. His legs shot a sharp pain through his body with every step, and he stumbled slightly every so often. But he had to make it; he had to take Sakura and get out of here. As much as it pained him to admit it, he knew when he was outmatched.

Behind him, he could hear Gamatosu crashing onto the ground. He could also hear the sounds of electricity, and a swishing of blades through the air. More smashes. The ground below his feet shook with every blow they made. Just as he was about to reach the edge of the clearing, he stopped. Something had grabbed a hold of him. He craned his neck around to see Sengi with his back to him, holding up his chakra blades against Gamatosu's swords. Extended from Sengi, and currently wrapped around Naruto's waist, was his chakra tail. Naruto tried to keep moving, but Sengi wasn't letting him go anywhere.

A low growl echoed from across the clearing. **"And just where…" **Sengi drawled as he pushed against Gamatosu's powerful blades, **"…do you think **_**you're**_** going?" **

With a powerful tug, Sengi yanked Naruto back across the clearing. He finally pushed Gamatosu away, and back flipped, unwrapping his tail from around Naruto. Naruto landed on his back with a pronouncing _thud, _and Sengi, still in the air, extended his arms.

"**Lightning Strike!" **

"Liquid Bullet!"

Before Sengi was able to shoot, a powerful burst of water erupted into his side, sending him cascading to the ground, shooting dust all around him. As Naruto tired to push himself up off the ground, Gamatosu landed next to him.

"Naruto! Are you alright?"

"I'm fine!"

As much as Gamatosu wanted to believe his words, he could tell Naruto was indeed _not_ fine. He was bruised and scratched all over, and the red chakra that had been swirling around his body and diminished an obvious amount. He knew he had to get him out of here.

Just then, with a swish of his arm, Sengi sent the dust around him into the air. He took a couple of steps forward, his chakra cloak bubbling slightly. His dark green eyes narrowed in anger.

"**This pointless battle has gone long enough! Kyuubi…you should know by now that you cannot win." **He paused. **"I'll admit, you were stronger then I had anticipated, but as a Jinchuriki, I far outclass you." **A wry smirk spread across his face. **"You're going to die. That much has **_**always**_** been constant." **

Naruto took a step back as Gamatosu lowered his swords in front of him. "You're going to have to get through me first!" The toad made a few signs. "Liquid Bullet!" His cheeks expanded, and he began to shoot a barrage of water balls at Sengi.

Sengi was too quick, though, and began to sprint toward them on all fours, weaving around the volley. In no time he had closed the gap, and jumped at them, arms outstretched. Gamatosu got in a stance with his blades, prepared for the strike. But suddenly, Sengi vanished in thin air. Gamatosu, surprised, took a step back, Naruto drawing a kunai from his holster.

"**Behind you…"**

They both froze. Seemingly from nowhere, Sengi had appeared at their backs. In one powerful, swift backhand from his chakra cloaked arm, Gamatosu was sent flying across the clearing. He had such momentum, he went past the clearing's edge, into he forest. Crashing sounds could be heard as he fell through the trees and underbrush. His swords clashed against the ground where he had been standing beside Naruto. After a few movements, however, they vanished in a puff of smoke.

Still in the air, Sengi placed his free hand atop one of Naruto's shoulders as he slowly flipped over him. He landed back on the ground with such grace, it totally though off his vibe. He and Naruto were once again face to face. Naruto went wide-eyed, his mind racing. Gamatosu was gone, he was at the brink of his limits, he felt like he had no chakra at all… But he had to keep going! He had to fight back!

His red chakra slowly evaporated, and he dropped his kunai. The sound it made as it harmlessly hit the ground was nerve shattering.

Sengi smirked. **"I've seen that expression on people before…" **he said slowly. **"A final resolve… You've accepted your death." **He pulled one of his chakra arms back, forming it into a blade, placing his other hand on Naruto's shoulder. **"Rest assured Naruto…your death will not be in vain." **Sengi smirked.** "You're about to make me the most powerful ninja in the **_**world**_**." **Sengi pulled back farther, and thrust his cloaked blade forward. It inched ever so quickly toward Naruto's stomach. Time seemed to slow down as they stood there.

Until Sengi stopped.

Naruto waited, but nothing happened. He glanced down, and found the chakra blade not even an inch away from his gut. He looked up to Sengi's face, but found something surprising. His eyes were rapidly flashing color; green to brown to green to brown and back again. Naruto didn't know what to make of it.

"Naruto!"

Naruto gasped. He knew that voice! It sounded so familiar- the fact he couldn't place it began to irritate him. But it was weird. It was if he heard it extremely recently, but at the same time, not in a while.

"Na-ru-to!" Then it hit him.

"Sengi!" Naruto shouted. In front of him, Sengi was backing away, breathing extremely deeply. His chakra blade retracted back to a normal cloaked hand, and he placed it over his face. "Sengi! Is that really you?"

"Naruto!" Sengi said again. He winced as he grunted in concentration. "I don't have much time. The Sanbi…he's…Argh!" Sengi's head whipped to the side, hand still covering his face. **"You foolish child! What are you doing? I had him! I'm gonna…!" **Sengi took a step back, whipping his head back to the side. "_No_!You listen…to me now…" Sengi looked back to Naruto. "I was just barely able to break through, Naruto… And it looks like I made it in time."

Naruto took a step toward his foe. "Sengi, what's-"

Sengi held a hand up. "No! Don't come any closer… I could lose it at any moment…." He took a deep breath, grunting again. "Listen, Naruto, you…_can't_ give up!"

Naruto shook his head. "But Sengi…"

"Don't give me that _crap_, Naruto!" Sengi retorted, pointing a finger at him. "Don't forget that…I _know_ you. You don't quit! You never back down! Argh!" Sengi took a few deep breaths as he paused, regaining his composure. "You were about to…literally roll over in your _grave_!"

Naruto stood speechless. Every one of Sengi's words sent a shuriken straight through his heart.

Sengi smiled slightly. "Listen to me, Naruto. You've got too much…to live for. Don't submit to someone like the Sanbi. He's feeding…off your negativity, your doubt. You're making him stronger." Sengi gave a deep sigh, as he grunted again. "Trust me…I know." He shot Naruto a sad smile. "People like you and I… We have to be strong in the face of our demons…"

Naruto eyes widened in shock at Sengi's statement. After a moment, a single tear rolled down his face. "You're right, Sengi…"

"_ARGH_!" Sengi suddenly yelled, falling to his knees. He snarled, jerking his head forward. **"No…! No, no, no, **_**NO**_**! You're both fools! All this talk of strength…it's pointless!" **Deep green eyes stared up at Naruto. **"It won't change a thing! Ugh…!" **Green shifted to brown eyes.

"Sengi!"

Sengi lurched forward, but stopped himself. "I'm…losing, Naruto. Just…like I always have." He gave a sad smile. "I can only hold this for a little bit more. Quick…kill me now!"

Sengi's sudden request stopped Naruto's mind completely. "…what?

"It's the only way! Hurry! Before…argh…before I lose control! _Kill me_!"

Naruto stood his ground. "You told me not to give up! I'm not gonna kill you! I'm gonna _save_ you!"

Sengi shook his head. "I told you not to give up on yourself, Naruto… It's… too late for me. It always has been…."

Naruto slowly drew a kunai from his holster. His resolve had been shaken, but now he stood firm. "We're going to get through this together, Sengi." He grinned. "That's a promise."

Sengi didn't reply for a long moment; he just sat on his knees panting, one hand covering his face. His cloak of green chakra still bubbled around him. "Naruto…" he finally said, his voice barely above a whisper. "Thank you…"

Suddenly, Sengi bucked backwards. He went completely off his knees, and started whipping his head from side to side. He stumbled around for a long moment before finally regaining his balance. A low growl emitted from the pit of his stomach.

"**That was touching…**_**really**_**." **Sengi popped his neck, smirking at Naruto. **"But as I said before… It doesn't change a damn thing." **

Naruto returned with a smirk of his own. "You sound a little irritated, Sanbi. Losing your hold?"

"_**Silence**_**!" **Sengi hissed, bring his cloaked arms out in front of him. **"It will all be over soon…" **

Sengi suddenly rushed forward on all fours. Naruto jumped back, tossing his kunai, which Sengi batted away as if it was a paper ball. Naruto brought his left hand to his right, and after a bit of waving, formed a Rasengan. He finally ceased his movement before jumping back toward Sengi, Rasengan outstretched.

Sengi smirked to himself as he extended one of his cloaked arms. While his actual arm stopped, the chakra that outlines it kept moving, and met Naruto's attack head on. The Rasengan tore through the chakra, melting and tearing it away just as quickly as it was regenerating. After a moment, the Rasengan overpowered the chakra, tearing it away completely. But as a result, Naruto's ball of chakra, vanished, having been spent.

Naruto gasped. _No way! He outlasted my Rasengan? _

Sengi swung his free arm up, grabbing Naruto's defenseless form by the throat. He kept going, swing him high into the air before finally heaving back down onto the ground. Again. He shot Naruto into the air once more, only to slam him back on the hard earth. After this one, however, Sengi tightened his grip around Naruto's throat dragging him around through the ground- Naruto was leaving a human sized crater everywhere he went. After a moment, Sengi lifted him from the ground, and shot him behind him a good distance, still grasping his throat.

"**Now…die." **

Sengi held him there a second before launching him forward with all his might. His arm clutching Naruto shot all the way across the clearing and into the forest in a straight line. Sengi slammed him through tree after tree, through anything that got in his path. Finally, Sengi stopped, slamming Naruto into one last tree, indenting the trunk so Naruto sat in it, leaning against the rest of it. Sengi didn't remove his hand from around Naruto throat. From his spot in the clearing, he focused his chakra.

As Naruto leaned into the tree, his head sloped forward. The motion caused his head band, which had stayed tied around his head through the entire ordeal, to untie itself and fall forward in his lap. Naruto's bright blonde hair covered his face as his head slouched forward, his body unmoving. Still, Sengi did not remove his hand.

From his point in the clearing, Sengi waited, still focusing his chakra.

Then, to his delight, he heard it.

_-dum, dum- -dum, dum-_

_-dum, dum- -dum, dum-_

_-dum, dum-_

_-dum, dum-_

_-dum, dum-_

Sengi waited. And he waited…. And he waited. He chuckled softly to himself.

He could barely contain his excitement.

l

Shikamaru's legs had never burned so badly in his entire life. As he moved through the forest, he could literally feel his leg muscles screaming in agony as the tore against each other. He mentally apologized to them, but he had somewhere he needed to be. It felt like he'd been jumped through the forest for hours. In fact, he was beginning to wonder if Orochimaru had put him under some kind of Genjutsu when he saw it. Light! Flooding through some of the braches.

_A clearing! _he thought. Yes. In fact, as the clearing came into view, he stopped on one of the branches, hidden behind another fairly lush branch, to examine his surroundings.

His breath caught in his throat.

The clearing- battlefield, rather- was completely destroyed. It was as if twenty tornadoes ripped through it at the same time. And that's when he saw Naruto and Sengi, staring each other down. Shikamaru, sighed, defeated. He had failed. He had failed to reach them in time.

"Shikamaru?" a hushed voice called out to him. The young Chunin snapped his ehad to the side, and was surprised to find Sakura, neatly crouched behind a bush. "What are you doing here?"

"Sakura? What..? Never mind." In one swift movement, he jumped to her side. "Konoha's under attack. From the Cloud and Sound. I've been sent to stop Naruto from fighting Sengi…but…"

"Yeah," Sakura finished for him. "You're a little to late for that."

"How long?" Shikamaru asked.

"A while…" Sakura responded shakily. "It's been pretty intense."

"Damn," Shikamaru cursed under his breath. He sat there watching them for a moment before standing up. "Oh well, no time like the present. Let's end this."

"No!" Sakura grabbed his arm. "If you try to go out there, you'll die! You saw what Sengi did to Sasuke!"

Shikamaru swallowed hard. "It's troublesome, but I've got a mission I've got to complete, Sakura."

"Please," she pleaded. "Naruto won't lose. He promised."

Shikamaru thought about it for a moment. It was true he had a mission to complete, but it was also true he wasn't in the best shape to get in yet another fight right now. "Alright," he conceded, crouching back down. "But when things look bad, I'm jumping in."

Sakura gave him a smile, and they both turned their attention back to the clearing. It seemed as if Sengi and Naruto were talking. Sengi looked to be having some kind struggle.

_Good, Naruto… _Shikamaru thought. _Talk him down. You don't always have to use your fists._

However, Sengi suddenly snapped back to focus, and began to advance on Naruto. Shikamaru watched as Naruto formed a Rasengan, something he had bragged to Shaikamaru about, and met his foe head on. They clashed, but Naruto came out the losing end, his Rasengan not being able to outlast Sengi's chakra.

Then, Sengi grabbed Naruto by his throat, and slammed him into the ground.

Beside him, Shikamaru felt Sakura stiffen. Again, Sengi picked him up, and slammed him into the ground. Naruto looked completely helpless. Out of the corner of his eye, Shikamaru saw Sakura put her hands over her mouth.

The onslaught continued, Sengi slamming Naruto into the ground, dragging him around. Then, Sengi reeled Naruto back and shot him all the way across the clearing into the forest. From their position, Shikamaru and Sakura saw a few trees topple over as Naruto crashed into them, and heard countless more.

Sengi was just standing in the middle of the clearing, arm still outstretched into the forest. Shikamaru's mind was telling him to go- to go help Naruto, but he was too stunned to move.

"No…" Sakura whispered. "No…"

Suddenly, Sengi started laughing. It started out small, but it quickly sped up and grew louder. Soon he was bellowing at the top of his lungs. His arm finally returned to him, and all of his green bubbly chakra slowly evaporated. A full minute went by, and all that could be heard was Sengi's awful, earsplitting laughter.

"**I've **_**done**_** it!" **he yelled to the sky, arms outstretched. **"**_**I've killed Naruto Uzumaki!**_**" **

**End of Chapter. **

**A/N: Whoa. It's been a while. Yeah, just super busy. It's been awful. Can't believe I actually found time to sit down and write this. Anyway, hope everyone enjoyed. **

**Next Chapter: **

**The Two Tails**


	33. The Two Tails

**A/N: There are some things that need to be said. First: Holy crap, I'm sorry! I really have no kind of excuse for the amount of time and negligence I've given this story. I know what it's like to get really into a story, and wait and wait and wait and wait and…you get the point. I never wanted to do that, but it appears I have. Second: No more! This is it. After thinking about it, and thinking about it, I have it. The story is in its final stretch, and I finally know what to do. Once again, I'm sorry for the delay, and I hope you enjoy. **

**Chapter 33**

**The Two Tails**

A brilliant red eye opened up from inside the darkness. For a second, it searched around frantically, casting its gaze upon the shallow water of the space. A sudden chilling breeze swept through the black, sending a chill down the creature's spine- the creature that owned the eye. A low growl escaped its mouth.

"**Cold…" **

It looked back across the darkness, trying to find the source of its sudden discomfort. The air pressure seemed to be getting heavier too, annoying the creature even more. Out of nowhere, a dim light began to shine in front of the creature's cage. Following the light, the creature found a young boy, no more then thirteen, sitting at the base of his "home," leaning against the cage. His head was bowed forward, and he sat unmoving. The water around them began to ice over.

The creature narrowed its eyes. **"I see…" **

Leaning forward, the creature looked over the boy. He was bruised and wary, and his blond hair sat messy and dirty atop his head. The creature plopped down behind the boy, on the other side of the bars, which also began to ice.

"**I wonder…" **the creature said. **"I wonder why the Fourth Hokage sealed me inside someone as **_**weak**_** as you…" **

A sudden red, bubbling energy began to form around the creature. It waved around for a second before scooting across the water, slowly beginning to wrap tightly around the boy. It spiraled around the bars of the cage and the rest of the water, thawing out the ice as it went. The dim light that shown on the boy began to grow brighter as the energy continued to spin around him.

The creature flashed its sharp teeth in a defiant smirk. Its chest heaved up and down as it settled curled back into a napping position.

"**I cannot do it twice, boy…" **

l

"**I've **_**done**_** it!" **Sengi yelled to the cloudy sky. **"**_**I've killed Naruto Uzumaki!**_**" **

He laughed as he retracted his chakra arm with a loud _snap!_ Slowly, his green cloak of chakra began to disperse, receding back into his body. In just a few moments, he looked completely back to normal. Falling to his knees, he grabbed his shirt with both his hands, and ripped it right down the middle. His chest was marked with a large upside-down triangle; the Japanese character for "SEAL" was inscribed at each point.

Focusing on the spot where he had last felt Naruto, he quickly began to do hand signs. One after another, he flashed them in front of chest. As he did, the triangle on his skin began to glow a deep, magnificent green.

"**The Kyuubi will be **_**mine**_**!" **he whispered menacingly.

A sudden burst of wind erupted behind him. Still flashing his signs, he turned his head to find a young girl rushing from the edge of the clearing. Both of her arms were cascaded in bright pink energy. He raised an eyebrow.

_**The girl from before…? Sakura… But what is this **_**power**_**? **_

She stops sprinting toward him for a second, punching one of her arms in his direction. At the end of her punch, a loud burst of the pink energy shot at out him. Gasping in surprise, Sengi quickly leaped to the side, being careful to continue his signs. The pink energy flashed right by him, barreling into the opposite edge of the clearing in an explosion of power.

She started springing toward him again as he looked back at her. _**What is this…? **_

She launched a couple of more waves of energy at him, which Sengi avoided, but it was becoming increasingly harder to focus on his task. Opening his mouth, he focused his chakra and shot a green lightning bolt at her. Sakura merely flipped over it as she ran at him. As soon as she landed, she shot another blast. Sengi decided to counter it this time, shooting a bolt of lightning to counter it in the air. They collided in an explosion of chakra. He didn't take her eyes off of her.

Sakura stared him down as well, smacking her fists together. A loud _crack _rang out through the clearing.

"**Back away, girl!" **Sengi yelled to her. **"There is nothing you can do now!" **

"You're lying!" she screamed back, and Sengi noticed the tears streaming down her face. "He's _not_ _dead_!" The energy around her arms intensified, as if all of her chakra was focused on those two points in her body.

"**Wait…" **Sengi said quietly, eyeing her again. **"Is that…**_**chakra**_**?" **He continued to do his signs. _**It's just like… **_The image of Sasuke Uchiha flashed through his mind.

He watched as Sakura raised her fists again, but as she did, a new figure appeared beside her. His hair was pulled back, giving his whole head a pineapple shape.

"Sakura!" he yelled in her ear.

She shrugged her companion off, staring straight into Sengi's eyes. "Where is he?!" she demanded.

Sengi smirked. **"You obviously heard me! He's dead!" **

"_Quit lying to me_!" She thrust her fists forward again, and another wave of chakra shot out. They flew through the air at an alarming speed, spiraling together into one _big_ wave.

_**No time to dodge!**_Sengi thought desperately as he flashed his hands together. _**Make it in time…!**_The seal on his chest grew brighter as he completed his last sign; in the next moment, Sakura's chakra wave overcame him.

He howled in pain as he was sent backwards from the force of the impact. He skipped across the ground like a people on water, finally rolling to a stop just at the edge of the clearing. Sakura was already sprinting toward him again. Sengi felt as if his whole body had been shifted around as he rolled over. He couldn't feel his left arm at all, and he had a large gash on his forehead that was seeping blood. He struggled back to his feet, coughing up more of the crimson liquid.

Despite himself, he smiled. He had finished the sealing ritual.

The seal on his chest began to glow some more, and the sight brought Sakura to a stop, her friend just behind her. Sengi started laughing as bright beam of green light shot from his back into the forest. After a few moments, he stumbled forward as he felt the light connect with something…or someone.

"Shikamaru, what's going on…?" Sakura asked, taking a cautious step forward.

"I have no idea…" Shikamaru replied, dumbfounded.

"**I'll tell you what's happening…" **Sengi said slowly. **"I killed Naruto Uzumaki in battle, and because we're both…special, I get to take a prize." **

"So that's what all this was about?!" Sakura yelled. "Using me as bait to draw him here…just for a _prize_?" She clenched her fists in anger.

"**Silence!" **Sengi yelled. **"You don't know anything!" **He struck her with his green gaze. **"Do you even know what Naruto **_**was**_**?" **

Sakura narrowed her eyes and opened her mouth, but Shikamaru put a hand out to stop her. He cast her an odd look. "Why don't you enlighten us?"

"**He was a **_**monster**_**!" **Sengi spat in response. **"He was a demon- a weapon of war and destruction!" **He examined their confused expressions. **"Naruto lived with a burden. One of the nine Bijuu." **He paused. **"The Kyuubi." **

Sakura gasped, and Shikamaru hardened his expression. He said, "So you're telling me Naruto is some kind of…host?"

"_**Was**_**," **Sengi corrected. **"Naruto **_**was**_** a Jinchuriki- a person with a Bijuu sealed inside of them." **

"And how do you know that?" Shikamaru asked.

Sengi smirked. **"Because Sengi is one as well." **Sakura and Shikamaru glanced at each other. **"I am the Sanbi- the Three Tails. Sengi was weak… He had started to diverge from our mission." **He laughed. **"He kept on telling me that he could **_**understand**_** Naruto, that it didn't have to be this way, but it **_**did**_**!" **He gestured to the beam of light still protruding from his back with his head. **"It **_**always**_** had to be this way." **

He looked up into the sky. **"Once I claim the Kyuubi for myself, I will become the most powerful shinobi in the **_**world**_**. Using Sengi as my catalyst, I will build the Hidden Cloud into the ultimate empire!" **He held out his one good arm as thunder rolled overhead. **"I will rule all as the Demon-Lightning King." **

The green beam of light suddenly began to turn red as it flowed into Sengi's back. He hunched over in pain, and the seal on his chest began to shine a mix of the two colors.

"You're insane," Shikamaru finally replied, forming a hand sign. "Even if I did believe the _absurdity _of turning people into hosts for Bijuu, there's no way a single person would be able to handle more then one!"

Sengi eyed him in amusement. **"Stand down, shadow user. My storm cloud gives you no power here." **Shikamaru glanced up at the crowded sky, gritting his teeth together. **"Besides, you can not stop the ritual now. In a few minutes, the Kyuubi, and all its glory, will be mine." **

"Then what if we just kill you now!" Sakura said, raising her still chakra infused arms.

Slowly, a small wide smile graces Sengi's lips. **"You can try." **

Yelling in anger, Sakura rushed forward, despite Shikamaru's cries of protest. She punched at Sengi with all her strength, but right before her fist reached his face, a sudden force stopped it, propelling her backwards. She slid across the ground; Shikamaru was by her side in moments.

"**The ritual will protect me until it is complete," **Sengi explained. **"It is a part of the spoils of battle. I'm allowed to take the Kyuubi by **_**right**_**!" **

Shikamaru was pulling Sakura back to her feet. "Then we'll just wait it out!" he replied, unsheathing a kunai from his holster.

Sengi raised an eyebrow. **"You would fight me **_**after **_**I have claimed the Kyuubi? This is not wise…" **

Shikamaru frowned. _What do I do? _He thought. _If this is for real happening, then Naruto really is…dead. Once he has the Kyuubi, he'll be unstoppable! _He glanced behind him, to the other end of the clearing. _The only choice is to try to get back to the village and warn everyone. _

"Sakura…" he said, slowly, gripping her shoulder. "This is out of our hands. We have to get back to Konoha, and-"

"No."

Shikamaru faltered slightly. "Sakura… I know this must be hard for you to accept, but-"

"Naruto's not dead, Shikamaru."

Sighing, Shikamaru gripped her shoulder tighter. "Sakura. Listen to me-"

She rounded on him, causing him to stumble back slightly. Her eyes were glowing a hot pink. "Naruto promised me he wouldn't die. And he never goes back on his promises."

"But, Sakura-"

"You have to have faith in him, Shikamaru!" Sakura yelled, her arms glowing even brighter then they just were.

Sengi laughed. **"You are as naïve as Naruto, girl. Listen to what you're saying. Naruto is dead. That's all there is to it." **

Sakura smiled, raising her arms again. "I've learned…that you should _never_ count Naruto out!" In a flash, she shot a wave of chakra out from her fists. They collided with the space right in front of Sengi, not quite reaching him though. The chakra spiraled and shot off in every direction possible, but it never hit the target. Sakura kept the pressure up though, shooting wave after wave.

"_Ever!_" she yelled over the wind and sound.

"**It's useless!" **Sengi cried back, holding his ground. The beam of light was still flowing into his back.

Try as she might, Sakura was unable to break through the ritual's protection. Eventually, the waves slowed, and her pink chakra evaporated. She was left powerless, panting heavily as she stood opposite Sengi.

Sengi spat at the ground. **"Enough. You must be made an example of…" **He gave out another awful smirk as he opened his mouth wide. Green electricity started forming in front of it, the edges of his mouth sparking with static.

_More lightning?! _Shikamaru thought as he jumped at Sakura. "Move!"

But Sakura didn't falter. She stood firm in the face of Sengi, who shook his head at her defiant nature. _**Die! You pathetic girl! **_

Suddenly, a fist collided with Sengi's face, closing his mouth, and sending him flying away. The beam of light snapped in half, and his seal stopped glowing. He rolled across the ground, finally sliding on his stomach. He angrily lifted his head to see who had hit him, and _how_ they had even hit him in the first place.

His breath caught in his throat.

There, standing before him, was Naruto Uzumaki. His clothes were torn in several places, and his skin was bruised and bloody. He was panting heavily, and his shaggy blond hair fell in front of his face, due to his missing headband. He had one eye closed as he looked on at Sengi. His eye that was still open held the very essence of the Kyuubi.

"_**Impossible**_**…" **Sengi said to himself. He blinked several times.

"Naruto!" Sakura screamed, lunging forward and clasping her arms around his chest. Not taking his gaze off Sengi, Naruto wrapped an arm around her as well.

"Naruto…" Shikamaru said, casting a glance at Sengi. "You're…alive."

Naruto didn't reply right away. He was still looking at Sengi. "I need to know if you're hurt, Sakura."

She removed herself from his chest for a second so she could look up at him. "Me? No, I'm fine, but Naruto, what about you?! Sengi said you were dead!"

"I'm fine," Naruto replied, squeezing her shoulder affectionately.

"**How…?" **Naruto hardened his gaze as Sengi slowly pulled himself to his feet. A small stream of blood trickled from his lip. **"I…I killed you!" **he yelled, a mix of rage and disbelief in his voice. **"I **_**felt**_** your heart stop…!" **

"Yet here I am," Naruto replied simply.

Sengi frowned at that comment. He yelled, and in a flash, a powerful surge of energy swept through the clearing as his chakra cloak once again outlined his body. His left arm still dangled limply at his side. **"But for how much longer?" **In the next moment, his good arm shot forward, the cloaked chakra barreling toward them.

Pulling Sakura closer to him, Naruto jumped away, grabbing Shikamaru by the collar of his shirt as well. The arm crashed at the point they were standing, and Sengi began to retract it as they landed, howling in fury the whole time.

As the trio landed, Naruto said, "Alright. Shikamaru, I need you to take Sakura, and head back to the village. Help them drive the Cloud and the Sound away!"

Shikamaru shook his head. "Sorry, Naruto, but I have strict orders to keep you from fighting Sengi at all costs. You're coming with us."

Naruto actually laughed. "Oh sure. He's just gonna let us walk out of here, huh?"

"Not the point, Naruto," Shikamaru countered. They jumped again, avoiding another sweep from Sengi's chakra arm. When they landed, Shakimaru continued, "You look _exhausted_. Do you honestly think you can go another round with him?"

Naruto shook his head. "I have to try." Shikamaru looked ready to say something else, but he decided against it.

Sakura said, "I won't leave you. Not again."

Naruto softened his expression under her jade eyes. "Thank you," he said. "But you have to go. I need you safe."

"But what about you?"

He leaned forward then, and gave her a soft kiss on the lips. She leaned into the kiss as well, savoring his taste. When they broke apart, he said, "I'll be fine. I'm gonna end this. Once and for all."

"No!" Shikamaru interjected. "I am _not_ letting you go back out there! There's no way!"

Suddenly, a crack of green lightning barely passed by them. Turning, Naruto found Sengi gearing up for another attempt. His eyes were blazing with fury.

"I'm not arguing about this anymore!" Naruto said forcefully. "Shikamaru! _Go_!" He pointed into the trees.

Shikamaru regarded his finger for a moment, clearly deep in thought. Finally, he nodded stiffly. "Fine! But if you die… Well, I mean…" He paused. "Look, no one can cheat death twice, Naruto. Sakura!" With that, he jumped off into the trees.

Sakura gave Naruto a desperate look. "You're coming back, right?"

Naruto grabbed the back of her head, pulling her close to him. Gently, he pressed his lips to her forehead. "Wait for me."

He stepped away, and she gave him one last longing look before jumping off after Shikamaru. Once she was out of sight, Naruto turned on his heel and began walking toward Sengi. His walk was brisk, and as he walked, red chakra began to swirl around him in streams.

"**I don't know how you survived," **Sengi said as he closed in. **"But I won't make the same mistake twice; I'm going to kill you where I can see you!" **He held out two fingers, preparing to let loose an arc of electricity as his chakra tail swayed behind him. **"I'm going to watch the light leave your eyes!" **

Naruto didn't reply. He just kept walking.

_**It is time, Naruto…**_

_You saved me, didn't you?_

_**Do not look into it, boy. If you die, I die. **_

_But you wouldn't have died. The Sanbi would've taken you._

_**Sharing a single body with the **_**Sanbi**_**? That is a fate worse then death!**_

The spiraling chakra around Naruto began to form around his body, sticking to him in certain places. As he watched, Naruto found the chakra began to bubble up as it fit to dimensions.

_This feels…different. What'd you do to me?_

_**I breathed new life into you, boy. Finally, we can utilize more of my chakra! **_The Kyuubi's laugh echoed around inside his skull. _**The playing field is now…even! **_

Naruto gasped as the sensation hit him. He bent over on all fours, and the bubbling red chakra outlined him completely. The chakra had even formed ears and a tail. Naruto flexed his fingers. He felt so powerful! He whipped his tail behind him, letting off a satisfying _whack_ that cracked the ground.

Sengi eyed him cautiously. _**What is this? All of our data showed that he had not yet been able to achieve a cloaked form, and he never showed it off previously. **_His own cloaked tail swayed back and forth. _**What happened? The sealing ritual was interrupted because it no longer had a target, but it did initially, or it wouldn't have even started at all… **_His eyes widened in realization. _**The Kyuubi…! It did **_**that**_**?! **_

Naruto charged across the clearing on all fours, surprising himself with his own speed. Sengi fired lightning bolt after lightning bolt, but he dodged and weaved around everyone. Soon, he was upon Sengi and he tackled him.

They rolled across the ground together, Naruto digging into Sengi's protective shell with his own cloaked claws. He easily ripped the chakra away, but before he could attack further, Sengi threw him off. Naruto twisted in the air, landing back on his feet. Sengi had no sooner stumbled back up as well when Naruto shot his arm forward. The cloaked arm extended past his arm, and slammed into Sengi's torso. Naruto pushed him back, slamming him into the ground.

Pushing Naruto's arm away, Sengi rolled, shooting lightning as he got back to his feet again. Naruto dodged it easily, and shot his arms forward again. Sengi met one of them, but was still down an arm, so Naruto hit him again. Sengi went flying through the air, landing with a painful _thud_. He rolled over on his back, and as he did, he opened his mouth and shot a large bolt of lightning at Naruto.

Naruto acted quickly. Reaching down with his powerful cloaked arms, he ripped up a part of the earth, and held it out in front of him like a shield. The lightning hit it square on, shattering it completely. Naruto stumbled backward from the shockwave, but was otherwise unharmed. Sengi rolled over again, balancing himself to his feet.

He started forward, but winced in pain. Looking down at his left arm, he found it smoking slightly. _**Not good, **_he thought quickly. _**I've spent to long in my cloaked form. Sengi's body is starting to fold right out from under me. **_He looked back to Naruto, and found him staring at him intently with Kyuubi-ridden eyes. _**I have to finish this quickly… **_

Sengi yelled, and formed his one good hand into a chakra blade. Another second passed before it began to spiral with electricity. He slashed it in the air a few times. He launched from his spot, jumping at Naruto with his full speed. When he neared, he slashed wildly, but Naruto merely skidded to the side, sliding away.

As he was sliding, Naruto formed a single hand sign, and within the next second, two more cloaked Narutos appeared by his side. Sengi rapidly shot another lightning bolt from his mouth, immediately destroying one of the Shadow Clones, but the other two quickly bounded toward him. Sengi began spinning, holding his blade-arm out as he went. The Narutos jumped away, narrowly avoiding the attack.

In the air, one of the Naruto's quickly formed a Rasengan- one _radiating_ with power. He held it out in front of him as he did two more signs. In the next instant, with the help of a powerful gust of wind, the Rasengan shot out of Naruto's hand. Sengi stopped spinning just in time to notice, and jumped away. However, he wasn't quite far enough, and the resulting explosion from the attack colliding with the ground sent him flying forward.

When he landed, the second Naruto slammed right into his back. Sengi screamed in pain as the force from the hit sunk him farther into the ground. He tried to reach behind him and slice Naruto with his blade, but the angle was to odd. On one attempt, Naruto actually grabbed the blade, and held it off to the side like it was a minor annoyance. He bent forward, putting his face right next to Sengi's.

"You know…" he snarled. "You seemed a lot stronger before…"

"**Silence!" **Sengi spat back.

"No! I have a lot to say!" He clutched Sengi's blade tightly, and with one tug threw him from the hole he had smashed him into. "That's for my village!"

As Sengi flew through the air, the other Naruto shoulder-slammed him. "That's for my friends!"

Sengi twisted away in pain as he slammed back into the ground. Above him, he saw one of the Narutos coming down on him, fists raised. Sengi quickly rolled away, wincing in pain as he rolled on his bum arm. Naruto slammed into the ground, and as Sengi got to his feet to counterattack, Naruto spun as well, backhanding him across the head. "And that's for kidnapping my girlfriend!"

Sengi was sent spiraling away, right into the waiting arms of the second Naruto, who slid back from his impressive catch. He wrapped his mighty arms around Sengi's form. Sengi bent over, breathing deeply. His cloak was doing its best to mend itself from all the attacks, but there was just too much damage; it was actually concaved in some places, and straight-up missing from others.

The Naruto held him tightly as the other Naruto approached him. "It's over, Sanbi," the Naruto called. "Give Sengi his mind back."

Sengi…no, the Sanbi laughed. **"Oh sure… That's my top priority." **

The Naruto holding him tightened his grip, causing the Sanbi to cry out in pain. The other Naruto had reached them now. Unlike the Sanbi, his cloak was still completely intact, and seemed to be burning with power. "This is no time for games."

The Sanbi rolled his eyes. **"I'll never give Sengi control again, you **_**fool**_**. You'll have to kill me." **He smirked. **"Kill **_**him**_**." **

Naruto growled. "Not an option."

"**Why?" **the Sanbi asked. **"Why do you care so much about a boy who can't even control his Tailed Beast? You don't even **_**know**_** Sengi. You never **_**have**_**." **

"You're wrong," Naruto replied. "I've known Sengi from the moment I first came into contact with him." He paused, clutching his stomach with his hand. "We're different…but we're the same."

"**You know, Sengi was the one who agreed to the mission to come and kill you to begin with!"**

Naruto smiled sadly. "To gain the respect of the Raikage and my fellow villagers… I would have to. What do you think would've happened to him if he had refused?"

"**Why do you still **_**defend him**_**?" **the Sanbi replied, exasperated. **"The one who completely abandoned his mind, his **_**body**_**, to me. Sengi is not strong enough. He never will be!" **

Naruto leaned down, coming face to face with the Sanbi. "I wonder if that's because you never gave him the chance…"

Naruto held an arm out to the side, and slowly, a Rasengan formed in his palm, spinning more wind up around them. "Sengi just needs confidence!" Slowly, the Rasengan changed color, beginning to glow a red as crimson as Naruto's chakra. "I'm gonna to show him there's always another way!"

The Sanbi stared at the swirling ball of mass in Naruto's hand. _**I'm going to lose… But how? I worked so hard. I planned everything to the smallest detail. **_He began to shake. _**Everything was supposed to go my way!**_

Thunder sounded overhead. Looking up, Naruto found the dark clouds beginning to shift around as they loomed over them. Lightning cracked. Again. Raising an eyebrow, Naruto decided to act now. Focusing on the Sanbi, he pulled his arm back.

Suddenly, the Sanbi's cloaked tail whipped out from behind him. It extended, and swept around tripping Naruto right off his feet. Thinking quickly, Naruto extended his free arm toward the ground. Pushing against the solid earth, he balanced himself as best as he could, and pushed his Rasengan forward. The whole act caught the second Naruto off guard, and he loosened his grip enough for the Sanbi to break free and jump away within the second. There was no time to redirect his Rasengan, so Naruto ended up slamming it right into his clone.

His clone was eradicated instantly, and Naruto fell on his side. Turning over, he found the Sanbi jumping at him. Naruto kept turning, and rolled out of the way just in time. He swung back to his feet, holding up a cloaked hand to block the Sanbi's strike. Using his free hand, Naruto punched forward, but the Sanbi brought his tail out from around him, blocking the attack. They were face to face, pushing against each other.

Naruto gathered his strength, and took a step forward, surprising the Sanbi. He smiled, and took another step, still pushing his opponent back. He was doing it! He was winning!

"_ARGH_!" he yelled. A sudden sharp pain shot through Naruto's left arm. He winced at the strain, and it bent against his will, allowing enough slack for the Sanbi to step forward against him.

_What…is this…argh! _With a final push, the Sanbi managed to throw him back. Naruto slid across the ground, still on his feet. He glanced at his arm, which hung uselessly at his side. He willed it to move, but it and the cloaked arm surrounding it wouldn't budge.

The Sanbi was panting deeply, but managed a smirk. **"So this **_**is **_**your first time going into your cloaked form. Oh, the first time is the worst. It takes its toll, doesn't it?" **He took a glance at his own limp arm, which was still smoking. _**Neither of us have much time… But Naruto is still far better off then I am. **_The Sanbi suddenly jumped back, landing atop the closest tree. He crouched, casting a hateful gaze down at Naruto.

Naruto looked at his arm again. _It looks like this new power can be kinda dangerous… _He returned the Sanbi's ruthless glare, flipping his shaggy hair out of his eyes. _It's gotta be now…_

The Sanbi opened his mouth wide, and a large ball of green electricity began to form. It sparked and shifted, and slowly began to grow in size, attacked to his mouth by thin static lines. Down below him, Naruto held out his right hand, and another Rasengan formed in his palm.

_I have to put everything I have into this next attack! __**/ I have to put everything I have into this next attack!**_

The ball of electricity began to shine as it grew brighter, and the Rasengan swirled more sporadically, suddenly morphing into the crimson color again.

The two narrowed their eyes at each other.

"**I'll end this now!" **the Sanbi roared over the sound of the electricity and the wind. **"This time for **_**sure**_**!" **

"Yeah?" Naruto called back. "Well I haven't paid you back for killing me yet!"

The next second seemed like an hour.

The Sanbi lunged from the tree, snapping it in half; Naruto jumped from the ground, leaving a small crater in his wake. The Sanbi tucked his limbs as close to his body as possible, holding his head out straight; Naruto held his right arm forward, gripping the Rasengan tightly. The two cloaked tails, one from a fox and one from a turtle, swayed violently behind each of them.

"Rasengan!"

"**Demon Inazuma!" **

The two attacks met head on, releasing a torrent of sparks and gust. They seemed to almost meld together, while at the same time, vigorously opposing one another. They sat suspended in mid-air for a long moment, but slowly, the Rasengan began to swirl forward, ripping through the electricity. The Sanbi's dark green eyes widened in surprise, and soon, his own attack literally exploded in his face.

The force of the explosion sent the two of them straight into the ground, equal distance from each other. Slowly and painfully, Naruto got to his feet as the dust settled. His right palm was stinging like hell, but he trudged forward, making his way toward the Sanbi. As he walked, he noticed the storm clouds overhead roll away into the sky, and he saw the Sanbi's cloak slowly evaporate away from his body. Soon, the blond was standing over his enemy.

The Sanbi looked completely and utterly defeated as he stared into the now clear sky. One of his eyes was closed, and his chest was heaving up and down. Lying like that, he seemed almost relaxed.

"**I see…" **he said hoarsely. Obviously, that last attack had drained him. **"So this is your power…" **

It was then that Naruto felt his own cloak fade away. His strength left him, and he suddenly felt extremely exhausted. His legs gave out, and he collapsed beside the Sanbi. Wincing, he turned his head so he could look at him.

The Sanbi chuckled softly. **"How unfortunate that you are defenseless at a time that I can't move." **

"Was it really that important to you?" Naruto asked. "Whatever you were trying to do?"

The Sanbi let out a massive sigh. **"Yes. It was." **

With great effort, Naruto nodded. "Then work toward that goal _with_ Sengi. Not _against_ him."

The Sanbi regarded Naruto for a long moment. **"You're telling me to chase my goal of being the one true King of this world?" **

"I don't care what you do," Naruto said, honesty clear in his tone. "But if you try to hurt any of my friends or my village, I'll be there to stop you, just like I did today. Without Sengi, you will _always_ fail."

The Sanbi doesn't say anything. Instead, he laughed, and Naruto can tell it was really hurting him to do so. **"You are an odd one, Naruto Uzumaki…" **

Naruto ginned. "Thanks."

Slowly, Naruto watched as the Sanbi's eyes faded from green to the dull brown Naruto had first seen all those weeks ago.

The Sanbi glanced over at him, giving him a warm smile. "Naruto…"

"Sengi."

Tears began to roll down Sengi's face, and he couldn't even lift an arm to wipe them away. They just fell and fell and fell.

"I'm so sorry," he said. "It's all my fault. I ruined everything! I hurt so many people…! I almost killed you!"

"Sengi," Naruto interrupted. "It's okay. You're okay now."

"For now…" Sengi replied. "But when the Sanbi gets over this, he'll…"

"Only if you let him," Naruto said. "I promised I would help you, and I did. But now… It's up to you. You and the Sanbi have to learn to work together."

Sengi closed his eyes. "You're right, I know you are, but… I just don't know if I can."

"I'll help you," Naruto offered. "Now, the Kyuubi and I are, at best, on speaking terms, but I'm sure I could-"

"No," Sengi said. "It's okay. You've done enough. I actually think I know someone who can help me. I didn't accept his advice before because I never really _wanted_ to be close to the Sanbi, but… It looks like that doesn't matter anywhere." He paused.

The sun was just starting to recede over the tree line, and somewhere, a bird was chirping.

"So what now?" Sengi asked, his throat dry.

Naruto closed his eyes, smiling. "Now we sleep."

**End of Chapter**

**Next Time:**

**Victory**


	34. Victory

**Chapter 34**

**Victory **

Slowly, Naruto's eyes flickered open. However, it was so bright that he immediately had to close them again. He heard the elegant, consistent _hum _of the light over his head. After a few moments, when he felt his eyes had adjusted behind his closed lids, he opened them again, squinting heavily. There, in fact, was a light above him, but there was also a ceiling fan, blades slowly turning.

His body was aching all over, and he suddenly became aware of a dull pain crawling throughout his system. He lowered his eyes, and saw several beds equal distance apart lined around the walls of the room he was in. Each of the beds was covered in white sheets, odd-looking equipment set next to them.

"So you're awake?"

Naruto turned his head to the right, and found Sasuke sitting up in the bed next to him. His head was bandaged, as well were other parts of his body. Naruto noticed that his entire left arm was wrapped in a cast, and that a sling draped over his shoulder held up the cast. If Sasuke noticed Naruto's staring, he didn't say mention it.

"Sleep well?"

"Sasuke…" Naruto muttered. Using his elbows, he slid himself to the back of the bed, lifting himself so his back rested against the railing. His body wailed in protest, but Naruto ignored it. "Where…?"

"Konoha Hospital," Sasuke replied.

Naruto glanced down at his own bandaged body. "How long…?"

"I woke up yesterday, myself," Sasuke said. "And they told me two days. So today makes three."

"Three days…?" Naruto repeated. His eyes widened in realization. "Wait! What about Sakura and Shikamaru?! Bushy Brow?! The village! Is everyone alright?! What about Sengi?!"

Sasuke started laughing, cutting Naruto off. "Calm down, Naruto. As you can see, we managed to drive the Sound and Cloud out of the Konoha, thanks to the Sand. Tsunade and Kakashi dealt with the Raikage, and you were retrieved from the battlefield. As for all the details…well, I really don't know myself."

Naruto took a deep breath, trying to calm himself. "I'm glad you're okay," he told Sasuke.

Sasuke took a look at his heavily cast arm. "I wouldn't call myself 'okay,'" he replied. "But I'm well."

Naruto took a large gulp. "It'll be okay. Don't think about it."

Sasuke leaned his head back, looking up at the ceiling fan. "Tsunade said that I might be able to recover with some heavy rehabilitation." He paused. "But I don't know, Naruto… I can't feel my arm at all."

"Bushy Brow was able to get better!" Naruto offered. "You just need some time-"

"It's different!" Sasuke said forcefully. Naruto closed his mouth, and Sasuke settled for a second. "It's different, Naruto…" he repeated, a lot softer this time. "I made a mistake during that fight with Sengi. A mistake I might never be able to take back."

"Might," Naruto said. He gave Sasuke a grin. "You always have to try, Sasuke!"

Sasuke turned his head and regarded Naruto for a long moment. He smiled- he _actually_ _smiled_. "I knew you would be able to beat him. When I clashed with Sengi that last time… Before I was blown away, before I lost consciousness, I thought to myself, 'It's okay. It's okay.'"

Naruto returned Sasuke's smile. "Thanks, Sasuke."

Just then, the door to the room opened, and they both whipped their heads toward it. Walking though the door was Shikamaru. Naruto noticed he was wearing the green vest reserved Chunin. He froze when he saw Naruto, but after a moment, he shook his head, and kept walking.

"Morning, Naruto," he said.

"Shikamaru!" Naruto replied. He leaned forward slightly. "Oh man, you have to tell me what happened!"

Shikamaru grabbed a nearby stool, and dragged it in-between Naruto and Sasuke's beds. Using a foot to balance himself, he leaned the stool on its back legs. "Alright," he drawled. "What all do you want to know?"

"Everything!" Naruto's eyes were piercing. Sasuke also seemed interested.

Shikamaru smiled. "Well, after you _forced_ me to leave you behind with that maniac, Sakura and I started moving as fast as we could, but we were _exhausted_. Eventually, we crossed paths with Neji, Rock Lee, and Gaara of the Sand. They were delayed because they had to deal with two dozen Sound and Cloud ninja who were waiting in case Sado and Rin failed in taking us out. Anyway, after talking it over, we decided to come back and help you overpower Sengi- as a group we had him outnumbered _and_ outmatched. But when we arrived, we found the two of you collapsed on the ground; luckily, Sakura was there to give you both basic medical treatment on sight. Gaara used his sand to carry you both, and we rushed back to Konoha as fast as we could."

He paused. "So after we got back to the village, Gaara and Sakura rushed you to the hospital where the other wounded were at, while Neji, Lee, and I went back to the stadium to assist in the counter-attack. The situation was already almost under control, though. Kakashi-sensei and Lady Hokage were leading the charge; the enemy's moral had already been busted when they defeated the Raikage, and even more so since Orochimaru pulled all his Sound forces out. When we got there, they were basically just mopping up.

"I reported in to the Hokage, and she told Kakashi and some other Jonin to handle the rest. After which, she and I made our way toward the hospital as I gave her all the details of the mission. When we got here, medical teams were already working on you and Sengi, but she patched the two of you up personally. Afterward, she took Sengi back to the stadium. I later found out that the Raikage and his forces surrendered when they saw her return with him. She demanded he and the rest of the Cloud leave the village, which they did. Clean-up and reconstruction began soon after. Tsunade is petitioning the Cloud to pay for the damages they caused, as well. But I don't think they're worried about that right now."

"Why?" Sasuke asked.

Shikamaru turned toward the raven haired Genin. "Because, and this is just what I _heard_, but none of the Cloud's village elders or higher brass even _knew_ of an attack. The Raikage planned the entire thing on his own. When he and his forces returned to the Cloud, he was charged with high treason." Shikamaru paused. "And he was executed."

Naruto gasped. "He was _killed_?"

Shikamaru held up his hands defensively. "Hey, hey! Like, I said, it's just what I _heard_, alright?"

"It does make sense, though," Sasuke said, scratching his chin. "He ran the risk of starting an entire _war_ without telling anyone."

"He was just _using_ Sengi," Naruto agreed. "He was going to have Sengi kill me so he would become powerful enough that no one would stand against him."

Shikamaru rested his gaze on Naruto. "Can I ask you a question, Naruto?" The blond nodded. "Well, it's been confirmed for me, but I wanted to hear it straight from your mouth." He paused. "Sengi… The _Sanbi_ told Sakura and I something. He said you were a…Jinchuriki."

Sasuke also turned in his bed, pressing Naruto with an intense look. Naruto looked down, and held a hand to his stomach. "It's true," he finally said after a long moment. "I've got the Kyuubi sealed inside of me." Shikamaru nodded solemnly, and Sasuke stared open-mouthed.

"I didn't want to keep it a secret," Naruto continued. "I didn't even know myself until not to long ago."

"I don't agree with this," Shikamaru replied. "Using people as hosts for these awful demons… But I can't fight the brass. The balance between the villages must be kept."

"I know," Naruto said. "This is my burden. And as long as Konoha needs me, I'll be here."

Shikamaru smiled. "It explains a lot, actually. Like how you were the only person who could really match Sengi."

"I knew what Sengi was going through," Naruto said. "He just wanted to be respected- _needed_. He would've done _anything_ for the chance."

"Regardless," Sasuke said. "It's over now. We won."

Shikamaru nodded. "Yes we did," he agreed. He looked back to Naruto. "Except me." Naruto raised a questioning eyebrow, and Shikamaru sighed. "My first official mission as a Chunin ended in failure. I was supposed to stop you from fighting Sengi at all costs." He laughed. "But you forced me to leave you behind! I got an earful from Asuma-sensei and Tsunade."

Naruto rubbed the back of his neck, grinning sheepishly. "Sorry…"

"It's cool." Shikamaru leaned back on the stool. "The next mission will end in success."

The door to the room rattled open again, and they all turned to find Kakashi walking in, followed by Tsunade, who was studying a clipboard in her hand, and Sakura, who was carrying an armful of various snacks. Kakashi froze when he saw Naruto, which caused Tsunade to walk straight into his back. Sakura looked over as well, and dropped everything she was holding.

Naruto grinned at them, lifting an arm. "Hey!"

Sakura came barreling over to him. She threw herself on the bed, and wrapped her arms around his neck, burying her head in his chest. The force of her actions sent more pain tingling through Naruto's body, but he didn't care; it was a good kind of pain. He carefully wrapped his own arms around her, lowering his head into her hair, allowing her scent to fill up his nostrils. She started sobbing.

Naruto began to rub her back. "Sakura…" he said soothingly.

Her muffled voice carried to his ears. "I… I thought I…lost you… You scared me…!"

"It's okay," he said. "I'm okay." She finally looked up at him, her eyes swollen. He smiled sadly, and wiped away her fresh tears with his thumb. "Now stop it. You know I hate it when you cry." She half-laughed, and rubbed her eyes as she finally pulled away from him.

"You gave us all quite a scare, Naruto," Tsunade said, coming around to the head of his bed. She flipped through a couple pages of the clipboard in her hand. "You'll be happy to know there is no permanent damage. There _is_ some scarring on your right palm, but it should fade with a little time and ointment."

Naruto held his right hand in front of his face, and discovered she was right. There were a few spiraling scars on the palm of his right hand. He thought about all the Rasengans he had performed that day, especially the crimson ones. It made sense, he guessed.

"So everything's fine now?" he asked. "With the Cloud and everything?"

Tsunade narrowed her eyes. "No. It is not. But relationships can heal. They'll be appointing a new Raikage soon, and hopefully he or she will be open to some kind of compensation treaty." She smiled. "But maybe this will teach them to think twice before attacking us."

"It wasn't really the village they wanted though…" Naruto said.

"You did well, Naruto," Kakashi replied. "Sengi's defeat at your hands… It should also prove as a deterrent- to _all_ the villages."

Shikamaru frowned. "You're talking like Naruto is some kind of _tool_."

Kakashi shook his head. "No. I'm talking like Naruto represents the strength of our shinobi, even Genin."

Naruto grinned.

Tsunade turned on her heel. "I've got to finish my rounds. Naruto, I'll be back to discharge you later." She strode out of the room.

Naruto's stomach grumbled, and he sighed. "Aw man, later? But I'm so _hungry_…!"

Kakashi smiled under his mask. "I'll run and get you something, Naruto. My treat. Does Raman sound okay?"

"You bet!" Naruto yelled, giving his sensei a thumbs-up.

Kakashi waved, and in a puff of smoke, disappeared from the room.

Shikamaru stood from his chair, and began walking toward the door, hands stuffed in his pockets. "I should get going too. It's troublesome, but I've got a _ton_ of paperwork to file for the mission. Being a Chunin is kind of a drag…" He waved over his shoulder as he left.

Sakura took his seat between the beds. She looked from Sasuke to Naruto. "It's been a while since we were all together like this…"

Sasuke sat back in his bed. "Yeah…" he noted. "Feels kind of good."

"Team Seven," Naruto nodded.

Kakashi returned with their lunch a few minutes later. And Team Seven sat there and talked, shoving noodles in their mouthes. They didn't say much, and the topics were pitiful at best, but that was fine; it was perfect, actually. No one dared bother them.

l

Tsunade did in fact return later with discharge papers. Naruto was given a quick examination, signed a few documents, and was declared free to go. Tsunade wouldn't let Sasuke leave though; she said they still needed to discuss his rehabilitation schedule.

Naruto had a slight limp, but he was glad to walk out of the hospital. The streets of Konoha were full of life, quite a contrast to the scene a few days ago. Sakura carried Naruto's things as they slowly walked back to his apartment.

"So what do you want to do?" Naruto asked her.

"Huh?"

"Tonight. For dinner. I think I'm gonna take you out."

"Oh! Naruto, you don't have to…"

"I know. But I want to."

Sakura blushed. "Alright fine. You pick though."

"You know where I want to go."

"Fair point. I'll pick then."

"That's why I asked you."

She laughed. "Thanks, by the way."

"No problem."

"No. I mean…for coming after me."

Naruto suddenly stopped walking. He turned around, looking Sakura right in the eyes. "I told you back at the stadium, Sakura," he said. "I'm _never_ gonna abandon you." He reached forward and cupped her cheek with his hand. "No matter what happens. Even if they cut off my damn legs, I'll _crawl_ to come and get you!" He paused, his gaze softening, almost melting under her own. "I love you."

A single tear rolled down Sakura's cheek, absorbed by Naruto's hand. She placed one of her hands over his own, and held him there. Everyone else on the street seemed to vanish then; it was just the two of them. "I love you, too."

Then, suddenly, the pink haired kunoichi leaned forward, and kissed Naruto on the mouth.

l

"Honestly, Sasuke," Tsunade said, flipping through her notes, a crease forming on her forehead. "You've got a long and difficult rehab ahead of you."

Sasuke looked down at his cast arm, his long bangs shadowing his face. "I figured."

"I'm going to be truthful," Tsunade continued. "In all my experience, I've never seen anything like this before. Breaking your Limit has caused some serious medical consequences." She sighed. "The probability of success is not high."

Sasuke looked up at her, his eyes blazing with determination. "But there's a chance…!"

Upon seeing him, Tsunade relaxed slightly. "Yes. There's a chance. I'll supervise you personally. We'll get started first thing in the morning!"

l

Sengi was staring out his hospital room's window. Sado and Rin were three beds beside him. He watched the clouds as they lazily drifted by in the sky. He looked like a mummy with all his bandages and tape wrapped around him.

"I can't believe we messed up that badly…" Sado said. Half of his face was wrapped up.

"It's _pretty_ embarrassing," Rin agreed. Bruises covered her exposed arms and legs. "I still can't believe Sengi actually _lost_ to Naruto."

"I can," Sengi replied. He looked over at his teammates. "You guys just don't know anything about him…"

"I know our intel said he should have _lost_…" Sado said. "So why didn't he?"

Sengi shook his head. Slowly, he swung his tired legs over the side of the bed, planting them on the floor. Wincing, he pulled himself up, stumbling forward slightly. Using the bed as a support, he worked his way over to the window, leaning on the wall beside it. He gazed out at the clear sky. "Because he didn't want to lose…"

Sado rolled his eyes. "Whatever."

Sengi laughed softly. "You know…" he said. "I've made a ton of mistakes… And I've got a lot of apologies to make." He looked back at his comrades. "And I think it's about time I started making them. About time I started living for something."

He heard a bird cry as it flew by the window. Wincing again, he leaned down some to watch it fly off into the everlasting blue.

l

Naruto took a deep breath of his apartment as he swung the door open. "Home sweet home…"

Sakura walked in behind him. She grimaced. "Naruto! It's _disgusting_ in here!"

"That's your opinion!"

"It's any _sane_ person's opinion! We're going to have a serious cleaning day!"

"_Clean_?! Sakura you're gonna kill me!" She bonked him on the back of the head, causing him to stumble forward slightly. "_Ow_!"

"Shut up!" she yelled, doing her best to suppress a laugh.

He turned around, and disregarding his limp for a second, pounced on her. She yelped in surprise as he wrapped his arms around her back.

"Let me go!" she said, trying to break out of his strong grip.

"Never," he whispered, and only then did she stop flailing around, surprised by his serious tone. He tightened his grip around her waist. "I'm never gonna let you go."

She blushed furiously, and playfully hit him on the head again. "Idiot…"

**End of Chapter. **

**Next Time, for the Last Time:**

**Forward**

**A/N: Pretty short, I know. I'm just trying to wrap everything up nice and tight. Just one chapter left, people. Stay tuned. **


	35. Forward

**Chapter 35**

**Forward**

_**One month later…**_

Naruto was jumping across Konoha's rooftops, traveling through the village at a breakneck speed. Several children shouted and pointed as the orange and black blur passed overhead. As soon as Naruto touched down on a rooftop, he was off, gliding through the air again. The wind blowing through his hair felt great, and the sun shone down with a warm radiance.

He was on his way to the hospital to meet up with Sasuke. After much pestering, the Uchiha had finally agreed to join Naruto for some lunch after his rehab. Naruto had the day off, and Sakura had a training session with Tsunade, so it was fine. Naruto was looking forward to it; he and Sasuke hadn't sat down and just _talked_ for some time.

Life in Konoha had returned to a normal pace. The Cloud and Sound had been driven out, and after the new Raikage had been appointed, he apologized profusely on behalf of his village, agreeing to pay Tsunade any amount she wanted. The funds were used to rebuild the stadium, a few damaged buildings and streets, and compensation to families that lost their shinobi kin in the attack. Konoha had endured just as it always had, and the thought made Naruto grin with delight.

Suddenly, a green blur pulled up beside Naruto in mid-jump, taking the blond by surprise.

"Whoa! Bushy Brow?!"

Rock Lee smiled at Naruto as they landed, and jumped off again. "I should feel insulted you would not invite me to participate in your race, Naruto!"

Naruto raided an eyebrow. "Race? What are you-?"

Lee cut him off. "Where is the Finish Line?" When Naruto didn't reply right away, he continued, giving Naruto a flashing smile. "Keeping it a secret, eh? No matter! I will find it and still defeat you!" With a final yell, Rock Lee pushed off the next building with magnificent speed. Within a few moments, he was out of Naruto's sight.

Naruto shook his head, chuckling slightly. Looking to his left, he found someone walking through the village streets. When he landed on the next building, he quickly changed course, falling toward the ground instead. He landed right beside Shikamaru.

"Hey!"

Shikamaru literally jumped back a few feet, hand clutched over his chest, eyes wide. When he saw it was Naruto, he relaxed, taking a deep breath. "Oh…Naruto. Man, you almost gave me a heart attack."

They began walking together. Naruto ginned, scratching the back of his head. "Sorry. I was heading to the hospital and saw you. Thought I'd see what you were up to."

Shikamaru stuck his hands in his pockets, and looked up at the bright blue sky. "The hospital? Going to see Sasuke, huh?"

Naruto nodded. "Sakura's busy with Grandma Tsunade today, so I convinced him to hang out with me."

"Cool."

"Where are you off to?" Naruto asked, just noticing the pack draped around Shikamaru's shoulder.

Shikamaru sighed. "Meeting Asuma, Ino, and Choji at the Village Gates. We've got a mission."

Naruto frowned. "Man, that sucks. I haven't had a mission in over a month…"

Shikamaru eyes Naruto for a moment. "That's because your team is kind of scattered right now, Naruto… No offense."

Naruto had to admit that Shikamaru had a point. Tsunade was keeping Sakura busy, Kakashi was constantly going back and forth with A-Rank missions, and Sasuke was still obviously recovering. "I guess…" he finally replied.

"Don't let it get you down," Shikamaru said, patting Naruto on the shoulder. "If it means anything to you, I'd _love_ to trade places. But Asuma says I need some practice with my leadership skills, so he's letting me take the charge this mission. There's no way I can skip out."

Naruto had to remind himself that Shikamaru was a Chunin now. Even though Naruto had technically won the Chunin Exams, his application had been rejected due to his rash behavior of chasing after Sengi without a second thought. He had tried to defend himself, saying that Sakura was in danger, but Tsunade had countered with the fact that she would've been much safer if Naruto had taken a few extra minutes to find a group. It wasn't just Naruto though; everyone but Shikamaru failed.

"The paperwork is gonna' be _such _a drag…" Shikamaru was saying. "I'm tellin' ya, writing is so troublesome."

They were heading to a fork in the street, and the two friends began to separate. Naruto said, "Well, I'm heading left."

Shikamaru nodded. "Yeah. The Gates are right, so I guess I'll see you when I get back."

Naruto bent his legs. "Alright, Shikamaru. Good luck!" With that, Naruto jumped to the nearest rooftop, and continued skimming over the buildings. He wasn't far from the hospital now. He suddenly saw Lee passing by in front of him.

"You have hid the Finish Line well, Naruto! But I shall still be the one to claim victory!"

Before Naruto could even reply, Lee was already gone again, and he burst out laughing. "That guy is so serious," Naruto said to himself.

In the next few minutes, Naruto found himself landing in front of the hospital. Without even slipping a beat, he went on forward, entering the tall white building. The receptionist glanced up at him, gave him a smile, and gestured toward the clipboard in front of her. Naruto quickly scrawled his name, and found the closest staircase. He had already visited Sasuke a couple of times, so he knew exactly where the rehabilitation ward was.

After ascending the stairs, he rounded several corners and zoomed down two hallways. When he got to the end of the last one, he threw the door open.

"Sasuke!"

_Wham! _

He was a met with a clipboard straight to his face. Naruto took a step back as it clattered to the ground. He rubbed his forehead, which now housed a large red mark.

"Naruto!" Shizune said, threatening him with a fist. "You know better then to just throw your weight around and screaming. This is a _hospital_!" She paused. "Now bring me back my clipboard."

"Sorry…" Naruto muttered as he came fully into the room, picking the board off the floor. The room, itself, was decorated with various instruments Naruto wouldn't even _try_ to name. Large plastic balls and metal bars were stacked neatly in one corner, and several metal contraptions littered the space. Shizune was standing in front of two vertical standing metal poles, connected at the top by a third pole that ran horizontally.

Sasuke was currently pulling himself up on the horizontal pole with his right arm. As soon as the metal touched his chin, he lowered himself back down. He paused for just a moment, and then pulled himself up again. His left arm was still cast, and held tightly to his body by a sling.

Sasuke grunted as he continued his pull-ups, sweat pouring down his face. Naruto walked over, handing Shizune her clipboard back.

"Almost there, Sasuke," Shizune said, writing something done. "Just one more…"

"_Argh_…!" Sasuke grunted again as he pulled himself up. As soon as his chin touched the bar, he let go, landing less then gracefully on the floor. He leaned back on his good arm, panting heavily.

Shizune checked something off on her board. "You're a little early, Naruto. We still have one more exercise."

"That's fine," Naruto replied, looking around the room again.

Sasuke accepted a bottle of water from Shizune, and after chugging it, he stood up, shaking the sweat from his head. His long bangs dangled forward, framing his face perfectly. "I'm ready, Shizune. Let's go for it."

Shinzune nodded. "Alright." She led Sasuke over to the far wall, which held a giant mirror that ran its length. Sasuke stood right in front of it, looking at his reflection. "Same as before, Sasuke," Shizune continued. "Raise your left arm and touch the mirror."

She stepped beside him and undid the sling. His arm fell limply by his side. Through the mirror, Naruto saw Sasuke's face contort in concentration. He huffed loudly, and squinted his face in frustration. Naruto could tell he was trying to lift his arm. Shizune placed her hand on Sasuke's shoulder, and Naruto saw a faint green glow emit from it. They stayed like that for a few moments. Sasuke put his right arm on the mirror's surface as a brace, his face still screwed up as he focused.

That's when Naruto saw it.

At the end of Sasuke's cast, he saw his fingertips twitch; it happened in less then a second. Sasuke must have felt it as well, because he immediately turned his head to the side, staring down at his cast. The Uchiha smiled, looking back at Shizune, who seemed ecstatic.

"Fantastic, Sasuke! Just fantastic!" She began scribbling rapidly on her clipboard. "Lady Tsunade must hear about this immediately!"

"It's progress, right?!" Sasuke asked, his voice cracking slightly. "This means the rehab's working, right?!"

"We can only assume, Sasuke," Shizune replied. "But we should run some diagnostics to be sure. Perhaps your nervous system is finally starting to repair itself? And if that's the case, your chakra points will be able to displace chakra again. Oh, we must contact Lady Tsunade immediately!" She turned, and stared at Naruto in surprise.

"Oh, Naruto, I forgot you were here. But wait, this is good! Go fetch the Lady Hokage for us!"

Naruto took off for the nearest window. "I'm on it!" He slid the window open, and was off, once again jumping across rooftops. As he landed on one in particular, he saw two people garbed in green standing on the roof of a building to his right.

"I am sorry, Gai-sensei! But the Finish Line still eludes me!"

"Don't you worry, Lee! We'll find it!"

Naruto rolled his eyes as the Hokage Tower came into view.

l

Naruto just barely knocked on the Hokage's door before he swung it open. Tsunade was sitting behind her desk, paperwork piled in front of her. Sakura stood off to the side, reading things off of a paper in her hand. Tsunade raised her head as Naruto entered, and Sakura whole face lit up in a smile. The sight made Naruto's stomach churn.

"Yes, Naruto? What is it? I'm very busy."

"I just came from the hospital," Naruto replied. "Shizune sent me. She wants to see you as soon as possible. It's about Sasuke." Here, Naruto grinned. "He was able to move his fingertips."

Sakura gasped in delight as Tsunade stood from her desk. "Are you certain? Well, well, this is _great_!" She threw on her green jacket, and began to walk toward the door. "You're relieved for the day, Sakura. I don't think we would've gotten around to your training session anyway. Not with all that paperwork."

She brushed past Naruto, leaving the two Genin alone. Sakura carefully placed the paper she was holding on Tsunade's desk. "Sasuke's really getting better?"

"Seems that way," Naruto said, smiling at her. "We'll be a team again."

She smiled one of those smiles that made Naruto's knees weak, and she walked over to him. He didn't even have time to react as she grabbed the back of his neck and pulled him down slightly, crashing her lips into his own. Naruto kissed her back.

Shortly after, they pulled back, both out of breath. Sakura ran a hand down his chest, giving him another loving smile. "We never _stopped_ being a team, Naruto."

"So I was going to get some lunch with Sasuke, but now he's tied up and…"

"I'm free?" she asked. He nodded, and she continued, "So you only want to take me out as an alternative?"

Her voice had that sharp edge that Naruto was all too familiar with. "No! It's just… You were busy with Granny and-"

Sakura lightly slapped the blond on his chest. "Naruto, I'm just playing." She turned around him, heading out the door.

Naruto quickly followed, slamming the large wooden door behind him. "I knew that!"

l

A half hour later, the young couple was exiting Naruto's favorite eatery.

"So good!" Naruto said, patting his stomach.

Sakura sighed, shaking her head. "You and your noodles…"

Naruto shot her a grin. "So what do you wanna do now?"

Sakura thought about it for a second. "Do you want to go to the Training Grounds?"

Naruto faltered slightly. "The Training Grounds? Why?"

"We could have a little spar. I could use a little practice."

The thought of hitting Sakura made Naruto sick. "Uh…pass."

"What? Afraid to hit a girl?"

"No. I just don't wanna hit one girl in particular."

"That's sweet," Sakura replied. "But you realize I have no problems with hitting you, right?"

"What?! Sakura, that's cold!"

She laughed as she looked up at the sky. "I wonder where we do go from here, though…"

Naruto raised an eyebrow. "What do you mean?"

Sakura smiled up at the clouds. "You, me, _us_, Sasuke, Kakashi-sensei…" She looked back to Naruto. "What do we do now? As Team Seven?"

Naruto thought about it for a few moments, and afterward, he stepped toward her. In one move, he wrapped an arm around her, and gave her a soft kiss on her forehead.

When he parted his lips, he whispered, "We move forward."

"Together?" she asked quietly.

Naruto suddenly intertwined his fingers with hers, and began to pull her forward through the crowded street. She blushed furiously, and tried to ignore some of the bewildered stares she was getting from her fellow villagers.

"Together," Naruto finally answered her.

Sakura didn't know where he was taking her, but she didn't care. Because in those silent moments that passed between them, she felt right. She felt _whole_. She would follow Naruto to the end of the world, and she wouldn't even think twice about it. That was just how Naruto made her feel.

Suddenly, Gai and Rock Lee appeared in front of them, both panting for dear life. Lee fell over on his butt as Gai went down on one knee.

"You win the day, Naruto," Gai said between shallow gasps of air. "But you have _not_ won the week! Prepare yourself for tomorrow!"

"Our youth burns brighter then yours!" Lee yelled from his position on the ground.

"Come, Lee!" Gai replied, yelling as well. "We must prepare!"

"Yes!"

In a flash of green, the two were gone.

Sakura looked from where they had been, to Naruto, and back again. "What was that all about?"

Naruto laughed. "It's a _long_ story. I'll tell you later, I promise!" He started pulling her through the street again, laughing all the while. Sakura rolled her eyes, but she couldn't stop the smile that spread across her face. They were moving forward. And that was all she could ask for.

**END**

**A/N: It has been an **_**extremely **_**long ride. But it has also been an enjoyable one. I conceived both this story's idea and concept **_**way**_** back in 2007, when I was in 10****th**** Grade (which is pretty obvious from my writing in the earlier chapters). But thanks to BtL, my writing and writing has drastically improved. BtL was the first full-length story I'd ever tried to do, and because of that, it will always hold a special place in my heart. There were several times throughout the story's life that I considered a hiatus, but let's face it: author's that put their stories on a hiatus seldom come back to them. Because of that, I considered shutting the story down all together, and maybe putting it up for adoption. But I never had the willpower to do that, even when I was struggling with it creatively. **

**In closing, I'd like to sincerely thank everyone that Followed the story or myself, that Favorited the story, and those of you who especially left me some positive or negative feedback. I would have definitely never have made it if it wasn't for the fans. So really. THANK YOU. **

**(…stick around for a very **_**special **__**surprise**_** in the coming days…)**


	36. PREVIEW

_**THANKS FOR STAYING TUNED…**_

**THE EXCLUSIVE PREVIEW TO **_**BREAKING THE LIMIT**_**'S EXCITING SEQUEL!**

_**-DANCING WITH SNAKES- **_

How long has she been running? Two days? Three? She's not sure. She only knows that if she stops, she'll die. So she keeps running. For the past few hours, she's seen nothing but trees. Her legs feel like jelly as she jumps from branch to branch, and her breath comes in short, shallow gasps. She can _feel_ them behind her. _Chasing_. She feels like an animal.

She jumps again, but she misjudges the distance. She misses the next branch by just a tad, but the result sends her toppling to the ground. If she was at her best, she could have easily recovered. But her reaction time is pathetic. She tries to turn in the air, and she hits the ground with a hard _thud_, rolling on her side for a few rotations.

Pain shoots through her body. Her right shoulder is on fire, and even though she knows she shouldn't lie there, the ground feels almost as good as her bed at this point. Her chest rises and falls rapidly, and stares at the sky through the thick branches overhead. She thinks back to how simple her life used to be- how _normal_ it used to be. How did she even get involved with all this anyway?

She can hear frantic shouting coming from the direction she was leaving, and the yells are enough to grudgingly swing herself back to her feet. Her long red hair cascades around her face like a curtain. She has to get moving again. She has to get somewhere safe.

She doesn't feel like her legs can support a jump back up to the trees, so she elects to run. She heads in the same direction she was jumping toward, winding around the erratic pattern of the countless tree trunks. But she knows she's not moving fast enough; the shouting is getting closer.

She weighs her options. Should she try to hide? Should she fight? She's coming up on a tree with a rather large base, and in a second, chooses to hide. She quickly rounds the tree, scrunching her back as close as possible. She tries to slow her breathing down, but that would take a miracle.

The shouting is finally close enough so she can hear it.

"Argh! Damn it! Where is she?!"

"Calm down! We know she was heading this way!"

"Don't tell me to calm down! We've been chasing this brat for almost four days, and we haven't eaten in _two_! I'm fucking _exhausted_!"

"Well how do you think she's coping? No food, no rest? She'll start slowing down!"

"Both of you shut up! Hold here!"

She holds her breath. There's a silence as they stop. She can _sense_ them now. Maybe twenty yards behind her? Up on the branches. If they're talking now, it's to low for her to listen. She closes her eyes tightly. She knows one of them is a sensory type, and she prays he doesn't try to find her.

Her prayers go unanswered.

"There she is! Due North! _Move_!"

She takes off from her hiding spot, but she can already hear them jumping above her.

"We've got you now, you _bitch_!"

There's a whistling in the air, and she knows one of them has thrown something. She quickly turns around to face them, beginning to jump backwards in an attempt to keep moving. As she thought, several shuriken are flying right toward her, and she pulls a kunai from a holster just in time to block the harmful stars. The one who threw them jumps down toward her, but she takes a rather long jump backward, avoiding him.

She makes to turn back around, but she's not in time; her back slams into the trunk of a tree she was unable to see. The force of the impact ceases her momentum completely, and she drops her knife as she stumbles forward. Her pursuers surround her, a weapon in each of their hands.

"You're a long way from home…" one of them says through staggering breath. "We're taking you back to the Hidden Mist."

When she replies, she's surprised at how foreign her own voice sounds. "I'm _never_ going back there…"

"I'm afraid we're not giving you an option." The man begins to move forward.

She reaches down to her waist, opening a pouch on her belt. In one swift movement, she swings her arm forward. The contents of the pouch, a clear, blue liquid, shoots out, hitting the man in the face. The force of the attack knocks him square on his back, as if she'd thrown a brick.

The two others jump at her, but she tumbles out of the way. She rolls back to her feet, and throws her arm out at these men as well. The liquid shoots out from behind her, hitting and knocking the both of them away.

She smiles to herself despite the situation. She can do this! However, the thought is fleeting as her legs cave right from under her. She falls to her knees, but that's fine. That's okay. She has time to start running again. Just as she begins moving, something pulls her back. A sharp pain shoots through her body. The first man has come up behind her, and is pulling her back by her hair.

"_Ugh_… You _bitch_!"

She starts throwing her arms behind her, but the angle is to steep, and her liquid misses by a mile. The other two are back on their feet now, each shaking their heads, which have become soaked.

"Now…" the one pulling her hair says gruffly. "Will you come quietly, or do I have to knock you out?"

She doesn't reply. She only continues to try to pull herself from his grip. Thinking desperately, she produces a kunai knife from her holster, and cuts behind her, aiming for her own hair. It is something she will gladly sacrifice. However, the man is quicker; he grabs her approaching wrist with his hand, keeping his other wrapped tightly around her locks. He squeezes her wrist painfully, and she yelps, dropping the knife.

The man sighs. "It appears you've chosen the hard way. Boys?"

The other two begin to approach her, smacking their fists into open palms. "Gladly…"

She's not proud to admit it, but she's scared- _terrified_. All her planning and hard work will be for nothing. She can't imagine her punishment when these idiots take her back to the Mist village. She doesn't want to go back. She _can't_ go back… _She won't go back_.

_**…**_

With newfound strength, she elbows the hair-puller in his…sensitive area. Howling in pain, he lets go of her, and doubles over. The other two mean charge, but she easily flips over them, kicking them both in the back of their heads. The two smash into each other, and they fall on top of the hair-puller. It takes a moment, but they all three pull themselves together, each getting back in a stance.

She slowly turns around to face them, and as she does, a great ring of blue liquid forms around her waist. She holds her hands out, and parts of the ring start peeling off, floating around her fingers. Even her red hair is billowing up, wavering back and forth like a stream.

The three men glance at each other nervously, and she smiles. "What's the matter?" she asks, her voice coated with sugar. "Wet behind the ears?"

She flicks a finger, and a part of the liquid shoots out. It barrels toward the man on the right, hitting him right in the side of his face. He's sent flying backward into the undergrowth, spinning through the air. The two men who remain stare at the spot where he once stood.

With another flick of her finger, a portion of the liquid shoots off at the man on the left, wrapping around one of his legs. In a swift pull, the liquid pulls him up, slams him back into the ground, and then throws him into the forest. The crash is extraordinarily loud.

The man in the middle, the man who remains, doesn't lose his ground. He pulls two swords off his back, pointing them right at her. She smiles sweetly at him.

"Do you like pulling hair?" she asks. She flexes her fingers, and some of the liquid fires at him, but he manages to cut through it with his blades. She raises an eyebrow, and attacks again, this time more forcefully. The man spins and turns, almost as if he's dancing as he counters the shots of liquid. When she finishes, he smirks at her.

"Surely that's not all…!"

She closes her eyes. "Not even close…" she whispers. When she opens them again, the man is struck with such fear that he almost drops his weapons. Her eyes are now glowing a brilliant, and somehow menacing, shade of white. She flicks her finger again, but this time, she's to fast.

His screams can be heard for miles.

_**-SUMMER 2013- **_


End file.
